Both predators and parasitoids can have significant effects on species’ life history traits, such as longevity or clutch size. In the case of gall inducers, sporadically there is evidence to suggest that both vertebrate predation and insect parasitoid attack may shape the optimal gall size. While the effects of parasitoids have been studied in detail, the influence of vertebrate predation is less well-investigated. To better understand this aspect of gall size evolution, we studied vertebrate predation on galls of Diplolepis rosae on rose (Rosa canina) shrubs. We measured predation frequency, predation incidence, and predation rate in a large-scale observational field study, as well as an experimental field study. Our combined results suggest that, similarly to parasitoids, vertebrate predation makes a considerable contribution to mortality of gall inducer larvae. On the other hand, its influence on gall size is in direct contrast to the effect of parasitoids, as frequency of vertebrate predation increases with gall size. This suggests that the balance between predation and parasitoid attack shapes the optimal size of D. rosae galls.

Eurytoma caninae Lotfalizadeh et Delvare, 2007 is known as a parasitoid in Diplolepis Geoff roy, 1762 galls, however it has not been recorded until now from the unilocular galls of D. eglanteriae (Hartig, 1840) and from the Carpathian Basin. We analysed samples of D. spinosissimae (Giraud, 1859), D. nervosa (Curtis, 1838) and D. eglanteriae galls in the eastern Carpathian Basin, Romania. Presence of E. caninae is reported from all three species' galls as new host association for D. eglanteriae and as new species for the Romanian fauna. New host plant species for E. caninae: Rosa balsamica Besser and Rosa subcanina (Christ) Vuk. are also reported. With 5 fi gures.

-Exeristes roborator (Fabricius, 1793) is usually known as the parasitoid of lepidopteran pupae, but was also recorded as the parasitoid of diff erent Cynipidae species in the southern parts of Europe and parts of Middle East. In samples of Diplolepis rosae (Linnaeus, 1758) and D. mayri (Schlechtendal, 1876) galls collected in the eastern Carpathian Basin aft er 2010 E. roborator appeared in large numbers compared to those collected before 2010, when the species was not present in the gall communities. Here we report the diff erential presence of Exeristes roborator in the two rose gall species, which points out the host shift of the ichneumonid parasitoid spreading towards north. With 3 fi gures.

Three Western Palaearctic Diplolepis Geoffroy, 1762 species are known to cause oligoand unilocular galls on wild roses: Diplolepis spinosissimae (Giraud, 1859), D. eglanteriae (Hartig, 1840) and D. nervosa (Curtis, 1838). Several studies have focused on the species composition of parasitoid communities developing inside these galls; however their parasitism rates are still unknown. We analysed galls collected in the eastern Carpathian Basin (Hungary and Romania). Here we report for the first time parasitism rates from these species’ galls. With 6 figures.