Galling,

Gall of the week is from Ontario. Unusually it is caused by a chalcid wasp, Hemadis nubillipennis, on blueberries, Vaccinium spp. Photo by Peter Shirley.

Gall of the week is caused by the sawfly Euura viminalis on purple willow, Salix purpurea. Photo from the BPGS website, photographer unknown.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Gall of the week is that of the cynipid wasp Aylax papaver on poppies, Papaver spp. An ungalled seedhead is included. Photo by Peter Shirley

Gall of the week is caused by the cynipid wasp Cynips longiventris f. agamic on oaks, Quercus spp. Photo by Peter Shirley

Gall of the week is caused by the gall midge Iteomyia capreae on willows, Salix spp. Photographer Peter Shirley.

Gall of the week is that of the sawfly Blennocampa phyllocolpa on roses Rosa spp. Photo by Tom Higginbottom on Bladmineerders.nl

Gall of the week is the nail gall of the mite Eriophyes tiliae on lime trees Tilia spp. Photo by Mike Poulton.

Gall of the week, usually found in leaf axil buds, is caused by the cynipid Andricus glandulae f. agamic. On oaks, Quercus spp. Photo by Peter Shirley