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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the cynipid Neuroterus anthracinus f. agamic on oaks, Quercus spp. Plenty about now. The insect is of the sexual generation. Gall photo photographer unknown, insect photo from Bladmineeders nl Plant Parasites of Europe.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Gall of the week is caused by an anthomyiid fly related to house flies, Chirosia betuleti, on ferns. First photo on lady-fern, Athyrium filix-femina, second photo on male fern, Dryopteris filix-mas. Both photos by Mike Poulton.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the sawfly Euura herbaceae on dwarf willow, Salix herbacea. From the British Plant Gall Society website, Photographer unknown.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the cynipid wasp Cynips longiventris f. agamic on Oaks, Quercus spp. Should be fairly easy to find now. Photo by P. Shirley.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Gall of the week, caused by the aphid Cryptosiphum artimisiae on Artemisia spp. mugwort, wormwood, and field wormwood. Photographer not known.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the gall midge Mikiola fagi on beech, Fagus sylvatica. Photo of gall by Steve McWilliam, of the insect from Rubsaamen & Hedicke 1926 via Bladmineeders.nl

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the fungus Gymnosporangium clavariiforme on junipers, Juniperus spp. known as 'tongues of fire'. Photo by Graham Calow.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Gall of the week, caused by what might be the commonest gall midge in Europe, Jaapiella veronicae, on speedwells, Veronica spp. Photographer(s) unknown, images from British Plant Gall Society website. Plenty more there. And why not join BPGS?

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Gall of the week is that of the oriental chestnut gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus on sweet chestnut, Castanea sativa, first found in the UK in 2015. Photo from British Plant Galls Facebook page by Jerry Bowdrey. The three chambers have some smaller parasitoids, the causer, and a Torymus parasitoid.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

We have just hit 500 followers, thanks to all of you. Please spread the word and keep the posts coming.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Gall causers apart from cynipids in other insect groups or families may have verifiers working on that group as a whole, which will include many species which are not gall causers.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Assuming you have some reference material that will be drawn to your attention Also the drop down species’ list in iRecord shows the two types, f. agamic and f. sexual. We do have verifiers for cynipids over all of the UK.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

That information is not always available, reliable, or accurate. The important thing is drawing attention to various species. GOTW is not intended as a scientific endeavor so much as an informal awareness raiser.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

IRecord is preferable, especially for cynipds with alternate generations, because the species’ dictionary lists those separately.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the gall midge Kiefferia pericarpiicola on several dozen umbellifers, in this case wild carrot, Daucus carota. Photo by Graham Calow.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Gall of the week is cause by the tephritid 'picture-wing fly' Urophora cardui on thistles, Cirsium spp. Male and female fly photos by Malcolm Storey, gall photo unknown.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the gall midge Rabdophaga rosaria on willows, Salix spp. There is a possibility that these galls are caused by a different species on each species of willow.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Gall of the week is caused by a weevil, Rhinusa antirrhini on the seed pods of common toadflax, Linaria vulgaris. Photographer unknown, image taken from the British Plant Gall Society website: www.britishplantgallsociety.org

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Nice find, there are some photos of this species on Bladmineeders.nl.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the mite Vasates quadripedes on silver maple, Acer saccharinum. Like its host this originated in North America. First recorded in this country in 2022. Photographer unknown.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Gall of the week, maybe as prominent as last week's robin's pin cushion, is the tassel gall caused by a psyllid, Livia junci, on rushes, Juncus spp. Photo by Tom Higginbottom.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Gall of the week, a distinctive old favourite, is a robin's pin cushion, also called mossy rose gall and bedeguar gall, caused by the cynipid wasp Diplolepis rosae on roses. Photographer unknown.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Gall of the week, an unusual example of what seems to be the mite gall of Aceria pseudoplatanea on sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus, in Scotland. Photos by Steve Lewis.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Gall of the week, is the oak apple, caused by the cynipid wasp Biorhiza pallida sexual generation. A week late as May 29th was oak apple day, or shick-shack day. It marks the restoration of the Stuart monarchy in 1660, and was a public holiday until 1859. Photographer unknown.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Gall of the week is that of the gall mite Cecidophyopsis betulae on birches, Betulae spp. Photos by Emma Woolley.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Gall of the week is the distinctive one of the sexual generation of the cynipid wasp Andricus grossulariae on Turkey oak, Quercus cerris. Plenty of them about just now. Photographer unknown.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the fungus Protomyces macrosporus, an ascomycete, on many species of umbellifers, Apiaceae. Photo from BPGS website, photographer unknown.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Gall of the week, something a bit different. This is Chief Gall, right-hand man to Sitting Bull at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and later a leading spokesman and judge for his people.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Gall of the week, currantly (ahem) hundreds being recorded on iNaturalist and iRecord, is the currant gall caused by the sexual generation of the cynipid wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum on oak, Quercus robur, in both of its typical positions. Photos by Tom Higginbottom.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Gall of the week, a bit of a challenge to find, is caused by the sawfly Euura mucronata on sallows, Salix spp. It may be a complex of species according to the host species, so maybe should be E. mucronata agg. Photographer not known, image from the excellent BPGS website.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Gall of the week is the bloodwood apple, found in Australia, caused by scale insects in the genus Cystococcus on bush coconut, Corymbia opaca. Both the gall and the larva inside are 'bush tucker' food apparently. Photographer not known.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Gall of the week, a cynipid wasp gall on roses in Canada. Details in the caption. Photo by Peter Shirley.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Gall of the week, this is a good time to find the rust fungus, Puccinia smyrnii, gall on Alexanders, Smyrnium olusatrum. Photographer unknown.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Gall of the week, one to find on a coastal visit, is caused by the mite Aceria hippophaena on sea buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides. Photo by Steve McWilliam.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Gall of the week is caused by a cynipid wasp, either Diplolepis nervosa (spiked pea gall) or D. eglanteriae (smooth pea gall). Without spikes they cannot be separated as D. nervosa can occur without them. They are now recorded on iRecord and iNaturalist as D. eglanteriae agg.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Galls of the week are marble galls of one or more species of cynipid wasp causing marble galls on oaks, Quercus spp. How many can you count with exit holes? Origin of this photo unknown, if you do please let us know.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Gall of the week, well galler, or to be precise cecidologist, of the week is Alfred Kinsey. Before becoming famous for his work on human sexuality in the 1940s, Kinsey was a leading authority on cynipid wasps, with many publications and a collection of over five million of them.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Gall of the week, an unusual one, is caused by a fungus on a fungus. It is Agamothyia wankowiczii on the bracket fungus Ganoderma applanatum. Photo by Graham Calow.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the cynipid wasp Pediaspis aceris on sycamores, Acer spp. A recent arrival in the UK. Photo by Stephane Claerebout from bladmineerders.nl

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Gall of the week is that caused by the gall midge Rabdophaga salicis on willows, Salix spp. Photo by Peter Shirley.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Gall of the week is caused by a recently discovered species new to Britain, the gall wasp Andricus coriarius f. agamic on oak, Quercus robur. Discovered and photographed by Maria Fremlin.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Gall of the week is caused by the cynipid wasp Andricus quercuscorticis f. agamic on oaks, Quercus spp. Photos by Graham Callow.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Gall of the week, with its causer, is that of the tephritid (picture wing) fly Urophora cardui on thistles Cirsium spp. Brilliant photo of the insect by Malcolm Storey, gall photo unknown source.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Gall of the week, with a bonus small copper butterfly, is caused by the midge Dasineura kiefferiana on rosebay willowherb, Chamerion angustifolium. Photo by Mike Poulton.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Gall of the week, can be found all year round, is caused by the gall midge Taxomyia taxi on yew, Taxus baccata. This is the second year gall, more often found than its smaller counterpart, the one year gall. Photographer unknown.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Gall of the week is that of the midge Contarinia nicolayi on hogweed, Heracleum sphondylium. With a name like that perhaps we should call it Santa's gall. Photo by Peter Shirley Thanks for following, best wishes and good galling in 2026.

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Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Gall of the week is one you may be bringing into your home this week. It is the gall of the aphid Sacciphantes viridis on Norway spruce, Picea abies. Photographer unknown.

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