Wild Rose Gall

Now the roses are going over these wasp galls are becoming more evident, quite pretty in their own way.

Bedeguar Gall or Robin’s Pincushion Diplolepis rosae

Bedeguar galls are formed on the wild rose by larvae of the gall-wasp Diplolepis rosae. A bedeguar gall is not the product of a single larva but a group of larvae, each residing in their own chamber within the gall.

Other species of wasp larvae will also make use of the gall. There are the species that do not form their own galls but just utilize those already formed by others, these are inquilines. The major inquiline is Periclistus brandtii, this has a commensal relationship, i.e. it benefits from the arrangement, but does not have a detrimental affect on Diplolepis rosae.

Diplolepis rosae over winters in the gall emerging as adult wasps in spring. The adult wasps reproduce not needing males i.e. parthenogenetically.