More Galls

I spotted a couple of different galls today. We've seen knopper, marble, artichoke and cherry galls recently but today I found two new ones.

The first photo shows Spangle Galls. There are four types of Spangle Gall in the UK, caused by four different gall wasps. Unless you’re really interested in galls, it’s fine to just call what you’ve found a Spangle Gall and leave it at that. All four look very similar, although if you look very closely they have different surface structures. They are found throughout the UK on both our native oak species, although they also like other oak species. The galls appear in spring when the wasp lays their eggs on the new leaves, and the larvae emerge during the summer.

The second photo is a Robin's pincushion (also known as the 'Bedeguar Gall') is a gall caused by the larvae of a tiny gall wasp, Dipoloepis rosae. The gall is widespread and common, and can be found developing on the stems of dog-roses during late summer; it acquires its reddish colour as it matures in autumn. Each gall holds many grubs, which feed on the gall tissues throughout the winter and emerge in spring as adults. The adults reproduce asexually and only a tiny number are male.

Two more to add to the tally but there are so many more to go!

Like the Oak Apple ...

And the Lime Nail Gall ...

And the Ram's Horn Gall ...

And the Tongues of Fire Gall...

And the Sputnik Gall ... 

And Witches' Brooms (caused by a fungus) ...

... and there are many more.

So I still have quite a few to tick off my list yet.