Gall wasps-Ichneumonflies

Diplolepsis rosae (?????) Produces the Bedeguar gall or Robins pincushion on wild roses, up to 10 mm across. The gall is fibrous on the outside with a woody centre containing many chambers. Each chamber contains a single egg or larva. The galls mature in late autumn. The adults fly from April to June. Males are rare as the females can lay eggs without mating. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Neuroterus quercusbaccarum (????) Produces common spangle galls on Oak in the autumn - flat or disc-shaped and hairless. Coloured cream with purple-red patches. The galls fall to the floor and adults emerge in the spring to lay eggs in Oak buds. The new generation of larvae induce currant galls to form on the catkins and young leaves from May to June. Males and female wasps emerge, mate and eggs are laid oon leaves forming more spangle galls.

Andricus quercuscalicis (????) Produces the Knopper gall on the acorns of Oak - an irregular shaped sticky hard growth. Central opening leads to the inner gall where the single larva resides. The adults are parthenogenetic and emerge from February to April. Bisexual generation induces galls on the catkins of Turkey oak. Image taken at Moors Valley country park, West Moors, Dorset .

Cynipid gall wasp (2-3 mm) Is this gall wasp causing the leaf markings or laying an egg on the mining larva? More likely to be parasitising the leaf miner - the mines are caused by the larva of the Holly leaf miner, Phytomyza ilicis. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire . ID offered by Malcolm Storey on the british_insects yahoo newsgroup, 8th Jan 2006 .

Gasteruption jaculator (20-30 mm incl. ovipositor) - Distinctive long slender abdomen with long black ovipositor. Wings folded longitudinally at rest. Abdomen is red and black. Often found on umbellifers in summer. Larvae feed on the larvae of solitary bees and their stored food. Image taken at River Avon, Salibsury, Wiltshire .

Opion luteus (15-20 mm) Yellow ophion Thorax and abdomen are dull yellowish-orange. Thorax has yellowish markings. Triangular scutellum. Common and widespread. Found from July to October, primarily nocturnal coming to moth traps. Present in rough flowery habitats including woods, grassland and coastal dunes. Endoparasite of many caterpillars. Venation differs from Netelia spp. Several similar species. Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Aoplus personatus??? (20-30 mm incl ovipositor) - White band on otherwise black antennae. Smoky wings. Entirely black head, thorax and abdomen. Found June in Bentley Wood.

Biorhiza pallida (~3 mm) Small orange wasp. Produces the Oak apple gall (10-40 mm) on the twigs of Oak from June to July - spherical spongy growth hardening with time. Each gall contains many larvae of a single sex. The females lay eggs on the roots of Oak trees where small brown galls (5-10 mm) in nodular groups develop giving rise to the wingless parthenogenetic adults from February to April of the following year. Widespread and common. Image taken at River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Liposthenus latreillei (????) Produces the unilocular galls on the leaves of Ground Ivy. The pea-sized galls (~20 mm) are hairy and may aggregate, beginning green, then turning reddish-green in the sun. The galls are mature from August to September. The adults are black and fly from May to July. Adults have a normal life cycle with just one type of gall produced. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Torymus nitens (4-5 mm) - Metallic green wasp with pale legs. Eggs are laid in grubs of the gall wasps that create Oak apples and other galls e.g. Biorhiza palllida. Flies from april to July in woodland where there are Oak trees. Common and widespread. Image taken at River Avon, Salibsury, Wiltshire .

Ophion sp. (~18 mm) Thorax and abdomen are dull yellowish-orange. Black marking on head and thorax. Venation resembles Ophion spp. Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Netelia sp. (~18 mm) Thorax and abdomen are dull yellowish-orange. Black marking on head and thorax. Venation resembles Netelia spp. Not N. testaceus which possesses a black tip to the abdomen. Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Ophion sp. (~18 mm) Thorax and abdomen are dull yellowish-orange. Black marking on head with yellow colouration around eyes. Venation resembles Ophion spp. Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .