Spangle Galls
This fallen oak leaf is covered in galls.
They look like they’re caused by Neuroterus quercusbaccarum, which has injected eggs and produced Common Spangle Galls. They are a chemically-induced distortion in the oak leaf by a tiny Cynipid Wasp. They have a fascinating two-stage lifecycle with asexual and sexual generations every year and produce two different types of gall at different times of the year.
I need to up my macro game if I’m going to keep seeing them. The more you look, the more amazing they are.
More Galls
Lime Nail Galls Those look like Lime trees. I'm not sure though. They're in the grounds of Forde House, a luxury Jacobean manor… read more
Cherries on an Oak There are Cherry Galls, Cynips quercusfolii, on this fallen Oak leaf. Inside each are tiny wasp larvae, protected by the Oak's… read more
A fortress on the stalk of a leaf It doesn't look like much. After all, it's just a bulge on a stalk of a leaf, scattered on the… read more
Have you seen my peduncle? English Oaks take 40 years to produce their first acorns and don't reach 'peak acorn' until they are 100 years… read more
Cherries growing on Oak trees There are Cherry Galls, Cynips quercusfolii, on the fallen Oak leaves here in Bridford Wood. They are the tree's defensive… read more
Spangles It's forty years since I first saw and photographed spangle galls on an oak tree. I noted it down in… read more
Robin’s Pincushions on Wild Roses The ability of life to survive in the harshest of climates is remarkable. We're walking at 1,500m above sea level… read more