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Wool sower galls

A wool sower gall.
Jessica Lucia
/
Flickr
A wool sower gall.

Callirhytis seminator, the wool sower, is a species of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult wasps are about 1/8" in length and dark brown in color. The larvae are white and fat and have no legs. The wasps only lay eggs on white oak trees and only in the spring. They lay the egg in a gall, a round, white structure resembling a cotton ball. It starts out white and later changes color.

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Rudy Mancke served as naturalist and co-host of South Carolina ETV's <i>NatureScene</i>, which began its long run in 1978. His field trips, broadcast nationwide, earned him a legion of dedicated viewers. Rudy's knowledge of the complex inner-workings of different ecosystems and his great admiration for the natural world make him the perfect guide. In fact, the National Wildlife Federation and the Garden Club of America honored his commitment to resource conservation with special awards. After retiring from SCETV, Rudy went on to become naturalist-in-residence at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He hosted SC Public Radio's <i>NatureNotes</i> from 1999 until his death in 2023 at age 78.