Robin’s Pincushion Again

Hi, I know that we have only just had Robin’s Pincushion (Would you like to see an Artichoke Gall?) I found a wonderful Rose today that had every stage of the pincushion’s development on it, including the bones that I haven’t seen before so I just have to post it.

Better still I know where this Rose is and I can visit it throughout the year. I quite wish that I had brought the bones home to dissect and I will probably do that next time I am out there. Expect to become a Pincushion expert if you are following this blog.

Just to recap for new visitors. Robin’s Pincushion is a Gall created by the Gall Wasp Diplolepis rosae. It lays it’s eggs in the leaf bud of Wild Roses and a chemical reaction causes this Gall to grow from the plant material. The larvae of the wasp then live inside the Gall eating plant material until they pupate and then they emerge as mature wasps.

I now wish that I had searched around for the wasp itself, I bet there were some about and us pincushion experts need those photographs.