AuthorRedfern, M. & Shirley, P.
Year2002
TitleBritish Plant Galls - Identification of galls on plants and fungi
SeriesAIDGAP Keys
TypeBook/Report
How CompleteMost of the galls known from the British Isles at the time, except Bacteria etc and Nematodes where only representative examples are given.
SourceAIDGAP Keys, 325pp, Field Studies Council
IllustrationsLine drawings accompany the text plus 8 colour plates of not very good printing near the back
Review (by Malcolm Storey)

This guide replaces the earlier (1986) work by Fred Stubbs, and my, how it’s grown!

The present work covers British galls on green plants and fungi. It is divided into 5 sections by gall-causer:

A. Bacteria, phytoplasmas and viruses
B. Fungi
C. Plants
D. Nematodes
E. Arthropods (insects and mites).
The last section is by far the largest and covers all known British species. (If you have no idea of the gall causer, you’ll have to look it up in each section, but this will rarely be the case.) Some of the other sections are less complete.

Each section is arranged alphabetically by host genus. A few plant families (Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Poaceae) are not subdivided in some sections, but when this is the case, the relevant genera are cross-referenced. Fungi are similarly undivided and only their insect galls are included.

For each genus/family there is a dichotomous key to the galls affecting that host. Sometimes this is subdivided into several keys depending on the part of the host that is affected. Most of the galls are illustrated with line-drawings, and the standard drawings of the gall-causers are also shown where relevant to identification.

The list of abbreviations is on p482.

Errata, Corrigenda & CommentsThere is a 4-page "additions and corrections" insert.
Examine with x8 or x10 hand lens ( Stereo Microscope is also useful)
Specimen PreparationMany need to be cut in half and the larvae examined, a few require rearing or microscopy.

Notes & PurposeStatusTaxonEnglishClassification
For identificationSupersededBIOTAliving things
For identificationSupersededBacteriabacteria, mitochondria, blue-green algae
For identificationSupersededACARImitesAnimalia
For identificationSupersededDIPTERAtwo-winged fliesAnimalia
For identificationSupersededHYMENOPTERAants, bees and wasps, sawflies and parasitoid waspsAnimalia
For identificationSupersededLEPIDOPTERAbutterflies and mothsAnimalia
For identificationSupersededHEMIPTERAbugsAnimalia
For identificationSupersededNEMATODAroundworms, eelworms or nematodesAnimalia
For identificationSupersededOOMYCOTAa group of mainly plant-parasitic fungiChromista
For identificationSupersededFUNGItrue fungi
For identificationCurrentFUNGItrue fungi
For identificationSupersededVIRUSESviruses
SupersededTRACHEOPHYTAvascular plantsPlantae
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