sable
New Member
Posts: 2 
|
Post by sable on Oct 4, 2015 20:35:44 GMT
Whilst walking on Box Hill, I saw a rose on the grassland that had been parasitized by some insect swelling the ovary of the fruit creating a head of reddish strands (photo below). Cutting the head revealed some larvae. Any idea what species would have caused this? Thanks, Paul  |
|
|
|
Post by aeshna5 on Oct 5, 2015 4:37:32 GMT
It's a gall known as a Robin's Pin-Cushion formed by the Bedegaur Gall Wasp, Diplolepis rosae. The larvae feed in the gall +emerge as tiny wasps in the spring. Reproduction is largely asexual as few males are produced. A common + distinctive gall that doesn't really do any harm to the rose.
|
|
sable
New Member
Posts: 2
|
Post by sable on Oct 5, 2015 12:33:23 GMT
Many thanks for this. I don't know how long it would have taken to find this just Googling. I will read further. Paul
|
|
