This time of year, it is not uncommon to see the valley oak trees (Quercus lobata) with their leaves yellowed and splotchy with numerous small seed like balls on the underside.  These are called Jumping oak galls and they are made by a small Cynipid wasp larva (Neuropterus saltatorius) that is developing inside the gall.  Don’t worry-the wasp doesn’t sting humans.  In fact, you would be lucky to actually see the critter.  While the galls do cause some defoliation, they are not particularly harmful to the trees.  They may cause some serious leaf loss in some years and this year seems to be one of those years.  The adult female wasp, in order to be able to create a gall that contain an egg, must sting the leaf at...