# Diplolepis spinosa

The Diplolepis spinosa, also known as the thorn gall wasp, is a tiny insect that creates galls on plants. These galls look like little bumps and are homes for the wasp's babies!

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Forests

![Diplolepis spinosa](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Many-spined_Twig_Gall_Wasp_imported_from_iNaturalist_photo_306229558_on_7_November_2023.jpg&width=800)

Photo: (c) Mary Krieger, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Many-spined_Twig_Gall_Wasp_imported_from_iNaturalist_photo_306229558_on_7_November_2023.jpg)

## Appearance

The Diplolepis spinosa is a small, dark-bodied wasp, typically black or dark brown, with slender, often reddish-brown legs and antennae. Its tiny size distinguishes it, as does the absence of a prominent ovipositor, unlike some similar gall wasps.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Hymenoptera
- **Family:** Cynipidae
- **Genus:** Diplolepis

## Interesting facts

- Amazingly, the wasp's stingers are only for laying eggs, not for stinging you!
- Inside the plant's woody fortress, young wasps safely eat and grow up!
- These tiny wasps command rose plants to grow spiky, golf-ball-sized homes!
- When grown, the adult wasp chews a perfectly round escape hole to fly free!

## Special abilities

- **Plant Architect:** Diplolepis spinosa can chemically reprogram rose plants to grow protective homes called galls for its larvae, ensuring safe development.
- **Growth Controller:** Diplolepis spinosa has a unique ability to trigger abnormal plant growth, creating intricate, spiny galls that provide food and shelter.

## Measurements & details

- **Wingspan:** 4-8 mm
- **Size:** 2-4 mm
- **Lifespan:** 300-365 days
- **Leg Count:** 6

## Diet & Feeding

Young wasps feast on rose plant tissues inside their spiky galls.

- **Age differences:** Larvae consume plant tissue; adults may sip nectar but do not feed on plant tissue.
- **Primary Foods:** rose stem tissue, rose bud tissue, rose leaf tissue

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** prickly rose (*Rosa acicularis*) — Provides plant tissue and shelter for larvae.
- **Parasitizes:** ichneumon wasp (*Orthopelma mediator*) — Larvae feed internally on the developing Diplolepis wasp.
- **Parasitizes:** chalcid wasp (*Torymus bedeguaris*) — Female lays eggs into the Diplolepis gall, larvae consume host.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface.
- [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

These wasps are not dangerous, but it's best to look and not touch their galls.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Diplolepis spinosa?

Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### What is Diplolepis spinosa's wingspan?

4-8 mm

### How big is Diplolepis spinosa?

2-4 mm

### How long does Diplolepis spinosa live?

300-365 days

### What does Diplolepis spinosa eat?

Young wasps feast on rose plant tissues inside their spiky galls.

### Where is Diplolepis spinosa usually found?

Forests

### How many legs does Diplolepis spinosa have?

6

## Where to spot

- [International Peace Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/international-peace-garden) — US · Botanical Garden

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

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Source: [Diplolepis spinosa: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/diplolepis-spinosa)