A walk in the almost autumn forest allows you to discover many natural curiosities that we do not notice or simply do not notice in spring or summer.
While walking through the beech forest in search of my favorite boletus, I came across mysterious mysterious structures, structures resembling inverted water drops, or a thick substance that quickly froze. A longer inspection left no illusions.
I have already written an article about this phenomenon, but it was about mysterious creations in the shape of almost perfect balls on oak leaves. It's the so-called "Galas"
What is or what is "Galas"?
A "galas" is a growth on the leaves of mostly deciduous trees, which can come in a variety of shapes. It can be spherical, teardrop-shaped, pointed, or completely devoid of any specific shape. The shape depends on the structural features of a given tree, because the inhabitant of this mysterious house is always the same pest, an insect, i.e. gallows.
What is "galasówka"?
It is an insect that feeds on the leaves of trees. It is a pest and more galls can even kill the tree. Its mode of action is identical on all leaves. The female gallbladder forms a wound on the leaf and lays eggs in it. The wound thus formed creates a kind of scar that becomes a home for the future insect.
The photo below shows the empty interior of the galas, but the next photo already shows a small white larva living in a mysterious house.
Larva inhabiting "Galasa"
The galls themselves in small amounts are not harmful to plants, while the pests inhabiting these pathological growths on the leaves can pose a threat to many plants. Therefore, when we notice a larger number of such growths, it is recommended to tear them off and it is best to burn them, because the galls will survive even cold winters in the ground.
