Bug FAQThimbleberry Gall Wasp
Diastrophus kincaidii · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Cynipidae
The thimbleberry gall wasp makes stem galls on thimbleberry plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Galls created by this wasp serve as a base for other insects, such as a weevil and many parasitic wasps.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It induces integral stem galls on thimbleberry plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Its galls provide a habitat for a weevil and many parasitic wasps throughout its life cycle.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is a cynipid wasp that forms stem galls on thimbleberry.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 45 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Washington, California, Virginia, Minnesota, Oregon, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the thimbleberry gall wasp affect?
It forms stem galls on thimbleberry plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Cynipidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diastrophus_kincaidii
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.