| Cecidomyiinae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor) from the subfamily Cecidomyiinae | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Cecidomyiidae |
| Subfamily: | Cecidomyiinae |
| Supertribes | |
The Cecidomyiinae, commonly known as gall midges or gall gnats, is the largest subfamily in Cecidomyiidae with over 600 genera and more than 5000 described species. [1] Larvae of the other (basal) cecidomyiid subfamilies feed on fungi; whereas this subfamily is best known for its members that induce galls on plants. However, there are also many species of Cecidomyiinae that are fungivores, parasitoids, or predators as maggots. [1] [2] [3]
Contents
- Systematics
- Asphondyliidi
- Brachineuridi
- Cecidomyiidi
- Lasiopteridi
- Stomatosematidi
- See also
- References
Herbivorous species make up about 75% of the Cecidomyiinae; many are gall-inducers, infecting a wide diversity of plants. They are found world-wide and are the most ecologically diverse gall-inducing group of organisms. Most develop in one or a few closely related host-plant species. In three tribes (Asphondyliini, Alycaulini and Lasiopterini) the midges are associated with specific fungi; these have been termed 'ambrosia gallers' because the fungi line the inner walls of the galls, in a similar way to those in the galleries of ambrosia beetles. [4] Some of the herbivorous species are inquilines, developing in galls that were initiated by a different midge species. Most species in the genus Macrolabis and the tribes Trotteriini and Camptoneuromyiini are inquilines, but there are also many inquiline species in genera that are predominantly gall-inducing (such as Dasineura and Lasioptera ). [4]
Predatory and parasitoid species comprise about 12% of the Cecidomyiinae. Larvae of these species attack other arthropods - there are known predators of mites, aphids, scale insects, dragonfly eggs, and endoparasitoids of Hemiptera. Most are found in the tribes Aphidoletini and Lestodiplosini. [1] [4]
Fungivores make up much of the remainder of the subfamily, indicating the retention of (or reversion to) the ancestral food source. [4]