I don't think so. I have no idea what that is. It appears to spiral around the stem.

I had stem girdler more times than once when I grew mostly hybrid rugosas who are seemingly more susceptible to stem girdler than any other class of roses. Stem girdler looks like a bulge all around one spot in an otherwise normal stem. It reminds one of what a snake would look like after it swallowed a ball. The part of the stem above the borer bulge is doomed.

Moses

Woah, I have never seen that! For me, stem girdler has looked like a bulge, like Moses describes, however I just read some info online:

"Larvae are cream-colored and during early summer feed within the vascular tissue resulting in a characteristic spiral and/or gall-like swelling on canes. Spiral damage patterns may be more prominent on infested second year canes, whereas prominent galling may be particularly apparent on first year and/or soft and tender canes. Damage from larvae can eventually have a girdling effect on the cane leading to wilted top-growth beginning in mid-summer through fall."

From https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/emerging-insect-pests/previous-eradication-programs/rose-stem-girdler-2014

I prune off the cane when it wilts or dies above the bulge. If it hasn't leafed out yet you could wait.

Hi: can you please provide a close-up in focus photo of the leading margin of the spiral?

(located on the ”top” of the ”back” of the spiral in your photo)

RSG on my caneberries here in Portland typically make just one trip around the stem, much swelling at that point, and only in the summer months, and much higher up on the stem than on your rose. The small (1/4" and narrow) dark beetle can be spotted during the day on leaves backlit by the sun. The beetles make ragged-edged chew patches on leaves.

What are caneberries, and, Mr Pro, what roses do you grow? Just a humble amateur wanting to know. That's a poem. Diane

That is WILD. I have never seen such a thing

Wow! I have never seen that before. Some web research suggests you may have the ID correct. https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/emerging-insect-pests/previous-eradication-programs/rose-stem-girdler-2014

https://extension.usu.edu/pests/uppdl/files/factsheet/ENT-178-15.pdf

Thanks for all the responses. It looks like that RSG is not only showing one swelling but also spiral patterns. I don't want to risk the adults emerging from that stem when the weather warms up, so I'm going to cut off the whole cane. I have 180+ roses and luckily this is the only one showing this weird symptom so far. I will be watching closely this year and hopefully don't let the population settle here. *fingers crossed*

Diane: Caneberries include all colors of raspberries, and all blackberries including Marion, Boysen and Logan. This is how the group is referred to in the agricultural industry. Most spellcheckers do not recognize the word.

Caneberries and roses are both brambles, in the same taxonomic family.

The RSG is a pest of both.

At one time we grew a single rosebush: "Playboy", then gave it to a neighbor.

We also grew a Rugosa for a few years.

I grow 7 varieties of caneberries, and I have an extensive insect collection, including some RSGs.

https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/small-fruit/blackberry-raspberry/blackberry-raspberry-rose-stem-girdler

^shows the adult beetle and their ragged chew-pattern.

"... I have an extensive insect collection ..."

Well, that's one way to look at it. :) Nature is wonderful (but even better when it isn't eating stuff you like).

Are you chat GPT, Mr Pro? Diane

No way to be sure. But consider: chat GPT is unlikely to use "caneberries" in responses.

This conversation! 🤣

I think if. Logician were Chat GPT they would repeat needlessly and tell us to prune once bloomers in very early spring.

If the person behind the Pro prompted Chat GPT to use caneberries in its answer, it would work, Librarian. Diane

...caneberries [continue tight loop coding] bloomers once in spring knickers twice in fall repeat endlessly...

Well... I found a typical RSG swelling on Therese Bugnet. All leaves above that were completely withered. I think Moses is right that Rugosas are susceptible to RSG especially two stems of Linda Campbell had it too two years ago. Alas.

I'm sorry. Gosh. I've got quite a few raspberries, too, I'll need to be keeping eye out. Thanks for sharing with us. I hope you don't have more damage this year.

Update:

I just found another stem of Therese Bugnet got RSG. Out of curiosity, I peeled it off, and sure enough, I saw spiral girdling damage going upward. Poor TB, maybe because of the loss of three long stems, this year is suckering crazily. *sigh*

Yes. So sad.