Ecological study of cynipidae galls on cork oak (Quercus suber) and zeen oak (Quercus faginea) in the Edough forest massif, Eastern Algeria

An investigation into the biodiversity of Cynipidae galls (Hymenoptera) residing within the oak forests of the Edough massif in Annaba (northeast Algeria) spanned from October 2016 to September 2019, aimed to update the faunal list of galls, assess their specialization and organ preferences, and evaluate the impact of seasonal fluctuations on their abundance. A total of 19783 galls were collected, belonging to 13 different species on both and . All the oak Cynipidae galls collected belonged to eight genera: , , , , , , and . Abundance peaked during winter, contrasting with significantly lower levels in summer. The gall population exhibited a diverse and balanced distribution during spring (H=2.35; E=0.74). However, it was very low in summer (H=0.51; E=0.26). The results obtained thus are added to the available data concerning Cynipidae galls on oak trees ( and ) in Algeria. This emphasizes the need for further research aimed at enhancing our comprehension of this specific population.