The wool sower gall grows on oak trees. A white pom pom with magenta spots, it's hard to miss, and harder to file under "parasitic wasp hatchery" because wait, it's kind of beautiful.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhyphenhyphen5zG3ohcOgZ6yJrxp1EUyWfXO8DGYIhQqDGuMLnu7BceGexm2qd-Pr7Dx_iwe9iEqwLVdoKfao5GBxNNy0rv9JeIT6IhtnF67A5nfI2qGUUA9sIO-JkNODpDY-uGWVsG7zxbCh22VA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-23+at+10.02.35+PM.png) |
I'm just a little oak with my pom poms on. Let me root root root for the home team... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDijO28Uk5WKwSlE7Une7N2KswsdBW5PNnSZnEMDUJlH20kFbUbG7ahR5FQAlsZJ3FsszKeKKS8pYGVhUpVUPZryoFrswmB95feCAg2btjvtznkK4ntQmG9Nb1MkzNLq5ifd3wBTTCQOI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-23+at+10.05.23+PM.png) |
Wait. Now it's looking like a snowman murder mystery... |
According to this
source, these fluffy confections are nurseries for a parasitic wasp (
Callirhytis seminator). The wasp lays her eggs on the host tree, the larvae hatch and secrete some wondrous stuff that creates a colorful cover that shelters their development. For more photos, go
here.
There's always some neat surprise waiting to be discovered in the 'hood!