Rhodites rosae. 



This insect, by its oviposition in the leaf-buds, causes the 

 tufts of reddish, moss-lii<e growths so familiar on most wild 

 rose-bushes. These galls are popularly known as " Robin's pin- 

 cushion," " Moss galls," " Bedeguar galls," etc. They appear to 

 grow from a twig or stem, but this is apparent only. They 

 originate from a leaf Upon reference to the stem on the right- 

 hand side of the illustration, three young growths will be 

 noticed which distinctly show their leaf origin. The accumu- 

 lated larva cells form a woody mass, firmly attached in a sessile 

 manner to the stem, sometimes on a terminal position. The 

 number of the cells varies very much. Some clusters consist 

 of three, others of forty-five. Thirty is about the average 

 number. They are also of different sizes, the average dimen- 

 sions being about those of an ordinary pea. They are all more 

 or less firmly fused together ; some, however, require very 

 slight pressure to remove them, while others cannot be parted 

 without detaching portions of those surrounding. The thick- 

 ness of the cell-wall is also subject to considerable variation, 

 dependent mostly on the size of the cell. The large ones may 

 be easily crumbled between finger and thumb ; the smallest 

 resist great pressure. The conglomeration of cells is entirely 

 concealed beneath a dense covering of long, many-branched 

 fibres, which grow from the surface of the cells, and give to the 

 structure a more or less globular contour. They may attain a 

 length of 35 mm., having ninety-five branches. Their colour is 

 greenish, pinkish, or crimson. 



The illustration is of specimens gathered at Hastings by the 

 author. 



