Bedeguar Gall Wasp - Diplolepis rosae

Alternative names
Robin's Pincushion
Description

The female insects are about 4 mm long; parts of their abdomens and legs are an amber/chestnut colour, while the rest of the body is black. The male (length of about 3 mm) is very rare. It is black and its legs are bi-coloured.

The gall is more likely to be seen than the adult wasp. This develops on a bud, into a large mass of long stiff branched hairs, green at first then red, and can be very numerous.  There are usually several chambers inside, and there are usually inquilines or parasitoids.  Occasionally small galls develop on leaves or hips.  

Similar Species

The rare Diplolepis mayri has similar galls, but with stiff unbranched spines; it has not been recorded in VC55

Identification difficulty

Gall  Adult

Habitat

Anywhere that the Dog-rose plant is found.

When to see it

From May onwards.

Life History

A Bedeguar Gall (also known as Robin's Pincushion) is not the product of a single larva but a group of larvae, each residing in their own chamber within the gall. Diplolepis rosae overwinters in the gall emerging as adult wasps in spring. The adult wasps reproduce not needing males i.e. parthenogenetically.

UK Status

Fairly common throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Robin's Pin-Cushion Gall, Bedeguar Gall, Rose Bedeguar Causer
Species group:
Bees, Wasps, Ants
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Hymenoptera
Family:
Cynipidae
Records on NatureSpot:
366
First record:
02/09/2005 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
29/11/2023 (Graves, Hazel)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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