mossyrose gall wasp

The mossyrose gall wasp, scientifically known as Diplolepis rosae, is a species of gall wasp belonging to the family Cynipidae. These small wasps are characterized by their ability to induce the formation of galls, which are abnormal tissue swellings, on plants, particularly rose bushes.1

A specific species of gall wasp will cause a characteristic type of gall on a particular plant. Many gall wasps attack oak trees or rose plants. The female gall wasp deposits an egg into plant tissue. After hatching, the larva secretes substances that cause the plant tissues to grow rapidly around it, forming a gall that increases in size as the larva grows. The larva feeds on the plant tissue within the gall, then pupates and transforms into an adult inside the gall. Adults are typically small, about 6 to 8 mm long, and black, with a shiny oval abdomen and a sculptured thorax.1

The bedeguar gall, also known as the moss gall or robin's pincushion, is commonly found on rose bushes and is caused by the mossyrose gall wasp. These galls can contain numerous larvae.1