Living up to its name, the cherry gall wasp produces growths, or 'galls', on oak leaves that look like red cherries. Inside the gall, the larvae of the wasp feed on the host tissues, but cause little damage.
About
The cherry gall wasp, Cynips quercusfolii, is a tiny gall wasp that causes growths, or 'galls', on the undersides of oak leaves. The grub remains in the gall after leaf-fall, emerging as an adult wasp in winter. This asexual generation will lay its eggs on the oak tree trunk, which eventually mature to the sexual generation; this generation mates and produces the more obvious galls.How to identify
The cherry gall wasp produces small, round, red-and-green galls on the undersides of oak leaves.Distribution
Widespread.Did you know?
Female gall wasps lay their eggs on their host plants, which causes the plants to swell up into characteristically odd shapes. The larvae feed on the plant tissue inside the galls.Related Post
Extinct species all plant image Animal and plant species declared extinct between 2010 and 2019, the full listThe disappearan
Smooth newt
You
are likely to spot the smooth newt in your garden or local pond. It
breeds in wLarge red damselfly Damselflies If you have a garden pond, look out for the Large red damselfly resting at the wa
Water shrew
The
large, dark grey water shrew lives mostly in wetland habitats. It's a
good swim
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon