Grallatotermes Bark Termite vs Oak Marble Gall Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Grallatotermes Bark Termite Oak Marble Gall Wasp
Scientific Name Grallatotermes africanus Andricus kollari
Order Blattodea Hymenoptera
Family Termitidae Cynipidae
Size 3-5 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Forests Parks
Diet Gall Makers Gall Makers
Regions West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Grallatotermes Bark Termite

An African arboreal termite that builds thin sheeting galleries over tree bark surfaces. Workers forage beneath these protective coverings, consuming bark and lichen. The species is common in tropical African forests.

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Did You Know?

The thin carton galleries this species builds over tree bark are so extensive they can cover entire tree trunks, making the tree appear to be coated in mud.

Oak Marble Gall Wasp

A tiny wasp that induces marble-shaped galls on oak twigs where its larvae develop. The galls were historically used to make iron gall ink.

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Did You Know?

The ink made from its galls was used to write the US Declaration of Independence and Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks.