Rose-stem Gall Wasp vs Woolly Apple Aphid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rose-stem Gall Wasp Woolly Apple Aphid
Scientific Name Diplolepis spinosa Eriosoma lanigerum
Order Hymenoptera Hemiptera
Family Cynipidae Aphididae
Size 2–3.5 mm 1-2 mm
Habitat Meadows Orchards
Diet Gall Makers Gall Makers
Regions North America Cosmopolitan in temperate regions
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Rose-stem Gall Wasp

A gall wasp that creates spiny galls on the stems of wild roses in North America. Each gall contains a single larval cell surrounded by hard woody tissue.

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Did You Know?

Its galls often persist on rose stems for years after the wasp has emerged, serving as shelter for other insects.

Woolly Apple Aphid

An aphid covered in waxy white filaments that forms colonies on apple tree bark and roots. Heavy infestations cause gall-like swellings on branches and roots.

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Did You Know?

It alternates between elm trees in spring and apple trees in summer across its complex life cycle.