Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp

Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp

Diplolepis polita

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Chicago

In 3 days ~10%

7 Verified sightings at Chicago
132 In all 11 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp

Diplolepis polita, known generally as the spiny leaf gall wasp, is a species of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. It was first described by William Harris Ashmead in 1890. This species induces galls on several species of wild roses in North America, including Rosa arkansana and Rosa acicularis. The galls are formed on the leaves in spring and early summer and are spherical with short spikes. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
3 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
6 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
7 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
8 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
11 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
3 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
5 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp in Chicago?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 751st most-seen of the 978 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp in Chicago?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp?

Between 2 and 5 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Chicago the best place to see a Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp?

8th of 11

Of the 11 cities where we can rate Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp sightings, Chicago ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Edmonton (Canada, about 10%), Calgary (Canada, under 5%) and Seattle (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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