Oak Hugging

I know Cooper's Hill is loved for its heathland habitat, but the Oaks are always worth a good peer at. All the following were observed today (14/09/08) on the sunny side of a single Oak...

Nut Weevils (Curculio sp.?) were queuing up to drill in this acorn, presumably to oviposit:


A hoverfly (possibly Didea fasciata) was ovipositing near aphids, presumably food for its young, running the gauntlet of the ants defending them. (Sorry it's not a great picture - the wind was moving things around alot).

An impressive-looking member of the Parasitica here resting briefly for a clean:

A larva (sawfly perhaps?) making a very distinctive-looking shelter by sewing an oak leaf in half along its mid vein:

And plenty of galls, tentatively identified as caused by the following Hymenoptera:

Neurotenus quercusbaccarum (Common spangle gall):

Andricus grossulariae:

Andricus quercuscalicis (Knopper gall):

Neuroterus albipes (Smooth spangle gall):

This one has me stumped. It doesn't seem quite right for Andricus lignicola (Cola-nut gall). Any suggestions please?

Photos by Keith Balmer