Galls

[goosey]

Originally Posted by H Dogg

I need to buy a macro lense for the Chalcids. As for the gall's afraid ive only really got into the photographic side fairly recently. More of a biology first photo second man. I will have a scout round see what i can find. the only photo's i do have are from Diplolepis rosae and a very blurry Biorhiza pallida oak apple gall (very common).

Not to worry H Dogg, it was only a thought. I would like to get out and have a look myself but the weather has been so bad all week and looks like the gales, rain and hail will stay for a few days yet - I hope you have more luck than me!

[goosey]

I found this Gall this morning, again on an oak leaf. It looks very different to the Cherry and Spangle galls though - any ideas please?

[H Dogg]

looks like the cherry galls of Cynips quercusfolii , although your gall seem's a little smaller and not as red.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by H Dogg

looks like the cherry galls of Cynips quercusfolii , although your gall seem's a little smaller and not as red.

Oh! Thanks, I wasn't expecting that. It looked more walnut like than the other cherry galls I have seen and had what looked like a ridge around it which can't be seen in this photo. As you noticed it was also smaller. Perhaps they become less knobbled and more colouful as they fill out?

[goosey]

I asked Hedgerow about this recent and he said -

Hi goosey,
Having looked through the British Plant Gall Society handbook for gall recognition again, I have to admit coming up with nothing.
Other than that is a guess based on a hunch so what follows can be comfortably ignored.
I have many Cynips divisa galls of which some have a shrivelled and conveluted appearance in various sizes and states of maturity. These I have assumed to be failed galls for some reason or another whilst still immature enough for the gall material to be soft and fluid filled which then dry out and with the loss of fluid also lose volume, thus the outer layers would take on a deflated balloon appearance.
You say that it is slightly smaller than a cherry gall Then I could say it may be a failed one.

So unless anyone else comes up with a different ID or explantion I will say that this is an image of a Failed Cherry Gall!

PS I realise now this should have actually gone on to the insect forum not here , but at least I have been able to move the photo's to the right gallery!

[goosey]

I have founfd another type of oak gall, this was larger than the others about 2cm and had a much more "woody" look to it rather than "fruity". It was also on a large twig and not a leaf. It actually looks like the wasps have made their escape now.

[black]

Hi Goosey, as you mentioned it was on a twig it is probably an Oak Marble Gall.
According to Galls Page 1

"Each gall normally houses one larva of the gall wasp, Andricus kollari - and possibly, several inquiline (foreign squatter species) intruders. When mature they vacate the hard woody sphere through tiny holes similar to 'woodworm' holes."

I saw some red devils horns looking galls on a sycamore leaf on the way into work this morning. They were the other side of some railings in the Liverpool Cathedral Gardens, I was running a bit late so I'll have to investigate at the weekend.

[Pudding4brains]

Hi Goosey,

Your new post just drew my attention to this topic for the first time - yes, interesting stuff. No time now, but I had at some point threw some links together on a page ... probably in dire need of updating, but maybe it's of use anyway: My Linkpage

I think Eric had an interesting looking gall from France here on WATW the other day ... will look for that and try to add some galls of my own later tonight.