Twig and stem galls, such as the gouty oak gall and horned oak gall, are solid, woody masses that can girdle branches or make them droop from the sheer weight of the heavy growths. The galls can grow to more than 2 inches in diameter. Horned oak galls can be found on pin, scrub, black, blackjack, and water oaks, while gouty oak galls occur on scarlet, red, pin, or black oak.
These galls result from a long and complex insect life cycle that takes two or more years to complete. The first stage is a blister-like leaf gall that occurs along larger leaf veins. The second stage is a knotty twig gall that is started in mid-summer and becomes fully mature in 1 to 2 years. Adults emerge in the spring. Gouty oak twig galls are smooth; horned oak galls have horn-like projections. One female wasp can emerge from each horn.
