What does a gall tick feed on? - briefly
Gall ticks subsist on the nutrient‑rich sap and cellular fluids within plant galls, drawing sustenance directly from the gall tissue. They act as parasites, extracting these resources from the host plant’s abnormal growth.
What does a gall tick feed on? - in detail
Gall ticks obtain nutrition by extracting fluids from the tissues they induce to form. The process begins when a female deposits eggs on a suitable host plant. Emerging larvae penetrate the epidermis and stimulate the growth of a gall, a swollen tissue structure that provides a protected feeding site. Within the gall, the tick inserts its mouthparts into the parenchyma and phloem, siphoning sap rich in sugars, amino acids, and minerals. This sap constitutes the primary energy source throughout the larval and nymphal stages.
Adult ticks remain inside the same gall or relocate to adjacent galls of the same plant species. Their diet mirrors that of earlier stages, focusing on:
- Phloem sap, delivering carbohydrates and essential nutrients.
- Parenchymal cell contents, supplying proteins and lipids.
- Occasionally, secondary metabolites released by the plant in response to gall formation, which may be metabolized for defensive compounds.
In some species, gall ticks exploit the presence of other gall‑forming insects, feeding opportunistically on the hemolymph of co‑inhabiting larvae when they are accessible. However, the dominant nutritional pathway remains the direct ingestion of plant-derived fluids within the gall environment. This feeding strategy ensures a continuous supply of nutrients while the tick remains concealed from predators and environmental stresses.