Roseroot Gall Wasp – Diplolepsis radicum

Roseroot Gall Wasp (Diplolepsis radicum)

Latin Name: Diplolepsis radicum

Common Name: Roseroot gall wasp

Appearance: 

• Grub-like Larva/Nymph is a cream-colored substance having 2 mm long gall.
• An adult have a shiny, dark brown/red colored, round abdomen sculpted and grows 3-4 mm as they age.

Host plants:

Abundantly roses like Roses (Rosa species), R. rugosa and old garden roses commonly host plants.

Territory: This species is native to North America

Damage insect caused by Roseroot gall wasp:

Rosa species are connected with several kinds of gall wasps, which produce odd growths on leaves and stems. Galls can be shaped like balls, spikes, or mossy growths. These galls cause minor plant damage and are primarily interesting to look at. On the other hand, growth may come to a halt if it becomes too much to bear.

Description about trunk and branch borers:

Various insects can bore into tree trunks and branches as adults or larvae, generating sawdust or sap-filled holes and weakening trees. Only trees that have been stressed by incorrect watering or maintenance, illness, or mechanical harm may be effectively attacked by most borers. Invasive insect borers, on the other hand, damage healthy trees. When a tree is afflicted with borers, there’s usually little you can do but boost the tree’s vitality, cut off affected limbs, or eliminate the tree.

Life History and Habits:

Gall wasps overwinter in cells within the galls’ interiors. They pupate in the gall in the spring. Adults emerge in the middle of the winter and deposit eggs in buds. Females deposit eggs at the base of axillary buds, and adults are tiny, black wasps. The freshly born larvae cling to the stem, causing it to distort into the distinctive gall, where they grow and mature. Every year, a new generation is born.