Once the gall wasp larvae become adults, they eat their way out of the gall and fly away. The crypt-keeper wasp (named after the Egyptian god Set who trapped his brother in a crypt before killing ...

Karma exists, at least for gall wasps. These little bugs deposit their larvae in trees so their young can leech off of the plant’s nutrients. But it turns out a parasitic vine mooches off of the ...

Accordingly, the scientists have nicknamed the wasp "crypt-keeper." The female crypt-keeper wasp wreaks havoc on the gall wasp's springtime plans, simply by laying eggs in its crypt.

When galls from different wasp species form, they take on a variety of sizes and shapes. Some are much tougher than others, some have unusual defensive strategies.

In total, 51 gall nurseries created by the wasp species B. treatae that were attacked by love vines were dissected by the researchers. Twenty-three were found to contain mummified adult wasps.

Galls do have plenty of bizarre interactions. Some gall wasps, for example, induce galls that produce a sweet nectar-like substance to entice ants.

Citrus gall wasps burrow into the branches on citrus trees and form lumps on the stem, known as galls, as the larvae burrow into twigs to feed. The larvae hatch from eggs laid just under the ...

Oak gall wasps are barely visible at 2 millimeters in length, which is about the thickness of a half-dollar coin. The wasp’s petite size notwithstanding it is responsible for individual galls ...

Hundreds of species of small wasps called gall wasps live in the forests of North America. Hundreds more species of them are spread worldwide. In Southeast Missouri oak trees are a favorite host ...

Although the reddish-brown adult wasps are so small they’re scarcely noticeable, the 6-inch-wide galls turn a prominent white, then tan as summer progresses. By winter, the galls turn blackish.

The gall then provides food and shelter for the insect. This particular gall infecting our laurel oaks is caused by the eastern horned gall wasp (Callirhytis quercusclaviger).

Once the gall wasp larvae become adults, they eat their way out of the gall and fly away. The crypt-keeper wasp (named after the Egyptian god Set who trapped his brother in a crypt before killing ...