Oak Gall Wasp– photo credit Elroy LimmerFor its last evening program until fall, the Gila Native Plant Society has invited Quin Baine, Research Fellow at the Museum of Southwestern Biology, to give a presentation on the galls that appear on some of our native plants. The presentation will begin on Friday, April 19, 2024, at 7:00 pm.

The program will be hybrid – in person and via Zoom. It will be live on the WNMU campus in Harlan Hall, Room 111. Harlan Hall is at the corner of 12th and Alabama Streets in Silver City. Those who prefer to attend online may request a Zoom link from gilanative@gmail.com . As always, the public is invited. All are welcome.

If you have seen galls on plants, you may have wondered: what is the function of these weird growths, and how can I identify them? Quin will talk about the main groups of insect gall formers, their specialized relationships to plants, and how to recognize common galls of native plants of the southwest. Come and gain an insight into an unusual plant/insect interaction.

Aciurina trixa – photo credit Quin BaineQuin Baine is a Museum Research fellow at the Museum of Southwestern Biology and a PhD candidate in Biology at the University of New Mexico. She is an entomologist by training and has been working to establish a gall specimen collection at the museum. Her current research is on the highly diverse gall-associated communities of rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) in the southwest.

The Gila Native Plant Society is committed to promoting education, research and appreciation of the native flora of the Southwest; encouraging the preservation of rare and endangered plant species; and supporting the use of suitable native plants in landscaping. For information on programs, publications and membership, please visit www.gilanps.org .