Robin's Pincushion Gall Wasp vs Steelblue Ichneumon

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Robin's Pincushion Gall Wasp Steelblue Ichneumon
Scientific Name Diplolepis rosae Lissopimpla excelsa
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Cynipidae Ichneumonidae
Size 2.5–4 mm 12-18 mm
Habitat Heathland Orchards
Diet Gall Makers Parasitoids
Regions Europe, Western Asia Australia, New Zealand
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Robin's Pincushion Gall Wasp

A gall wasp that forms spectacular mossy red-green growths on wild roses. Each gall may contain up to 60 larval chambers.

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Did You Know?

In medieval times, its galls were placed under pillows as a supposed cure for insomnia.

Steelblue Ichneumon

A metallic blue-black ichneumon wasp native to Australia. It is an important parasitoid of pest caterpillars including the introduced cabbage moth.

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Did You Know?

It was deliberately introduced to New Zealand to help control pest moth populations in agriculture.