About Diplolepis ignota
Diplolepis ignota is a species of gall wasp that belongs to the family Cynipidae. The larvae of this species live and feed inside galls that form on the leaves of multiple wild rose species (Rosa). Each individual gall is single-chambered and spherical, but multiple galls may grow together into larger, irregularly rounded galls. This species has been recorded across most of the continental United States. In Canada, it has been found in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The galls of Diplolepis ignota have been documented on five specific Rosa species: Rosa arkansana, R. blanda, R. carolina, R. virginiana, and R. nitida. Gall formation usually begins in August, and the galls stay attached to their host plants. Adult wasps emerge from the galls during the following summer. Several other wasp species act as inquilines or parasitoids of Diplolepis ignota larvae: these include species from the genera Periclistus (family Cynipidae), Aprostocetus (family Eulophidae), Eurytoma (family Eurytomidae), and Orthopelma (family Ichneumonidae).
