Thistle Gall Wasp vs Blind Ringlet

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Thistle Gall Wasp Blind Ringlet
Scientific Name Isocolus scabiosae Erebia pharte
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Cynipidae Nymphalidae
Size 1.5-2.5 mm 28-34 mm wingspan
Habitat Meadows Meadows
Diet Gall Makers Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Alps, Carpathians
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Blind Ringlet

A small, dark ringlet butterfly with reduced or absent eyespots. It flies in damp alpine meadows during the short mountain summer.

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Did You Know?

Its common name refers to its often pupil-less eyespots.