Ash Bark Weevil vs Thistle Gall Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ash Bark Weevil Thistle Gall Wasp
Scientific Name Magdalis armigera Isocolus scabiosae
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Curculionidae Cynipidae
Size 3-5 mm 1.5-2.5 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Meadows
Diet Gall Makers Gall Makers
Regions Europe Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Ash Bark Weevil

A small black weevil that breeds under the bark of ash trees. Larvae create winding galleries in the cambium. Has become more noticed with ash dieback disease.

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Did You Know?

Often colonizes ash trees already weakened by ash dieback disease, accelerating their decline.

Thistle Gall Wasp

A minute gall-inducing wasp that forms swellings on knapweed flower heads. It has been studied as a potential biocontrol agent for invasive knapweeds.

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Did You Know?

A single flower head can contain dozens of tiny gall chambers, each housing one larva.