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A Colossal report published in October 2026 features Timothy Boomer’s close-up photographs of insect galls, many induced by cynipid wasps on California oaks. Boomer says he uses focus stacking to show their fine details and makes minimal edits to preserve how the natural subjects appeared.
Colossal published a report in October 2026 featuring nature photographer Timothy Boomer’s images of insect galls, small growths formed on plants that can shelter and feed developing insects. The photographs show varied shapes and colors on California oaks, bringing attention to structures that are often tiny and difficult to see in detail.
Boomer told Colossal that galls can be caused by different organisms, but he focuses on those induced by cynipid wasps, which he considers especially visually striking. The report features examples photographed in Solano and Napa counties, including spined turban, urchin, flange, disc, and red cone galls. Some are identified with particular wasp species; the flange gall is attributed to an undescribed cynipid wasp.
Gall formation supports the wasp’s developing larva. According to the report, chemicals introduced by the larva prompt the host plant to form a gall, which supplies protection and food. The insect can grow inside and, if development proceeds successfully, emerge as an adult. Different wasp species produce distinctive growths, often on specific parts of a host plant.
To photograph these small subjects, Boomer uses focus stacking: he takes many images at different focus points and layers them digitally. The report says a finished image may combine hundreds or, sometimes, thousands of exposures. Boomer told Colossal that he edits minimally in Photoshop, aiming to keep the photographs faithful to the natural scene.
Making Tiny Gall Structures Visible
The photographs offer readers a close look at plant-insect interactions that can be overlooked because the galls are small. Their varied forms also reflect how different insects interact with host plants, while the images make those details accessible without requiring specialist equipment.
Boomer’s approach matters to how the images should be read: focus stacking increases the apparent depth of detail by combining exposures, while his stated minimal editing is intended to preserve the subject’s natural appearance. The feature is a photography report, not a scientific study, and it does not establish new findings about gall biology.
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How Wasps Shape Plant Galls
The report describes galls as growths produced when an insect’s activity causes a plant to form tissue around a developing larva. In the examples discussed, cynipid wasps are the gall inducers. The resulting structure can function as a protected environment and a source of nutrition for the immature insect.
The featured photographs include galls on blue oak and valley oak, with locations such as Lake Berryessa and Vacaville, California. Colossal reports that scientists believe there are at least about 1,300 cynipid species worldwide. That figure is presented as an estimate, not a count supplied by Boomer’s photography.
Boomer also discusses an atypical spined turban gall, which he says was darker pink, with blackened tips and spikes across its surface. He suggested that its development may have been disrupted by another organism entering the gall early. The report presents this as his interpretation, and he cautions that he is not a scientist.
““I tend to focus on the ones induced by cynipid wasps because they are the most visually stunning (at least in my opinion).””
— Timothy Boomer, speaking to Colossal
What the Unusual Gall Can Show
The report does not identify the non-inducing organism Boomer believes entered the atypical gall, nor does it provide an independent scientific account confirming that explanation. Boomer explicitly says he is not a scientist and does not claim to fully understand the process. The cause of the specific gall’s unusual coloration and spines remains an interpretation in the article.
The feature also does not provide detailed collection dates, camera settings, or a scientific survey of the photographed galls. Its estimate of roughly 1,300 cynipid species is attributed broadly to scientists, without naming a study or giving a date for the estimate.
Where to See More Images
Colossal directs readers to Boomer’s Instagram account, where he shares photographs of galls alongside images of slime molds, flowers, and other subjects. The source report does not announce an upcoming exhibition, book, or research project, so no further publication or event is confirmed.
For now, the development is the publication of the photo feature itself. Readers seeking scientific detail about a particular gall or the suspected disturbance described by Boomer would need information from relevant researchers or additional documentation beyond the report.
Key Questions
What are insect galls?
Galls are growths on plants that can form in response to an insect’s activity. In the cynipid wasp examples described by Colossal, the gall provides a developing larva with food and protection.
What does Timothy Boomer photograph?
Boomer photographs small natural subjects, including cynipid-wasp galls on California oaks. The report also points readers to his images of slime molds and flowers.
How does focus stacking work in these photographs?
Focus stacking combines multiple photographs taken at different focus points into one image. Boomer told Colossal that he may use hundreds or thousands of exposures to show more detail in tiny subjects.
Is the unusual spined turban gall explained scientifically?
Not in the report. Boomer suggests that another organism entered the gall early and altered its development, but he presents this as his interpretation, not a confirmed scientific finding.
Source: thisiscolossal.com
