| Massalongia rubra | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Cecidomyiidae |
| Genus: | Massalongia |
| Species: | M. rubra |
| Binomial name | |
| Massalongia rubra (Kieffer, 1890) | |
Massalongia rubra is a species of gall midge which forms galls in the leaves of birch. [1] It was first described by the French naturalist and entomologist, Jean-Jacques Kieffer in 1890 and is found in Europe. [1]
An elongate, woody swelling (up to 10 mm long) of the mid-rib of a leaf which can extend into the base of lateral veins and the petiole. The gall is more prominent on the underside of the leaf and is initially green, later red-purple and brown. Sometimes the gall is surrounded by a green island on a yellowing leaf. Each gall contains a single larve which are white or yellowish when young and red when mature, with a weak sternal spatula. [2] Mature larva leave the gall in late summer to hibernate and pupate in the soil. Adults emerge in the following spring or summer. [3]
Affected trees are silver birch ( Betula pendula ) and downy birch (Betula pubescens ). [4]
Massalongia rubra has been recorded from Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden. [4] [5] [6]
Betula pendula, commonly known as silver birch, warty birch, European white birch, or East Asian white birch, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to Europe and parts of Asia, though in southern Europe, it is only found at higher altitudes. Its range extends into Siberia, China, and southwest Asia in the mountains of northern Turkey, the Caucasus, and northern Iran. It has been introduced into North America, where it is known as the European white birch or weeping birch and is considered invasive in some states in the United States and parts of Canada. The tree can also be found in more temperate regions of Australia.
Betula pubescens, commonly known as downy birch and also as moor birch, white birch, European white birch or hairy birch, is a species of deciduous tree, native and abundant throughout northern Europe and northern Asia, growing farther north than any other broadleaf tree. It is closely related to, and often confused with, the silver birch, but grows in wetter places with heavier soils and poorer drainage; smaller trees can also be confused with the dwarf birch.
Betula nigra, the black birch, river birch or water birch, is a species of birch native to the Eastern United States from New Hampshire west to southern Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and west to Texas. It is one of the few heat-tolerant birches in a family of mostly cold-weather trees which do not thrive in USDA Zone 6 and up. B. nigra commonly occurs in floodplains and swamps.
Betula papyrifera is a short-lived species of birch native to northern North America. Paper birch is named for the tree's thin white bark, which often peels in paper-like layers from the trunk. Paper birch is often one of the first species to colonize a burned area within the northern latitudes, and is an important species for moose browsing. Primary commercial uses for paper birch wood are as boltwood and sawlogs, while secondary products include firewood and pulpwood. It is the provincial tree of Saskatchewan and the state tree of New Hampshire.
Betula alleghaniensis, the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the past its scientific name was Betula lutea.
Ulmus rubra, the slippery elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America. Other common names include red elm, gray elm, soft elm, moose elm, and Indian elm.
Betula populifolia is a deciduous tree native to eastern North America.
Hartigiola annulipes is a species of midge fly in the family Cecidomyiidae, found in the Palearctic. The fly was first described by Theodor Hartig in 1839. The larvae gall the leaves of beech.
Iteomyia major is a gall midge which forms galls on willows. It was first described by Jean-Jacques Kieffer in 1889.
Iteomyia capreae is a gall midge which forms galls on willows. It was first described by Johannes Winnertz in 1853.
Euura proxima is a species of sawfly belonging to the family Tenthredinidae. The larvae feed on the leaves of willows, creating galls and was described by Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville in 1823.
Andricus inflator is a species of gall-forming wasps, in the genus Andricus, which has a sexual and an asexual generation, producing two different galls. The wasp was named by the German biologist Theodor Hartig, in 1840 and is found in Europe.
Eriophyes laevis is a gall mite which makes small, pimple-like galls on the leaves of alder. The mite was first described by the Austrian zoologist, Alfred Nalepa in 1889 and is found in Europe and North America.
Phyllocoptes malinus, also known as the apple leaf mite, is a species of mite belonging to the genus Phyllocoptes. It causes a gall, which is a swelling on the external tissues, on the leaves of apples. The mite is found in Europe and was first described by the Austrian zoologist Alfred Nalepa in 1892.
Acalitus stenaspis is an eriophyid mite which causes galls on beech. It is found in Europe and was first described by the Austrian zoologist Alfred Nalepa in 1891.
Taphrina betulina is a fungal plant pathogen that causes the gall, witches broom, which is a chemical infection of birch buds or the developing shoots, leading to a proliferation of growth. It was first described by Emil Rostrup in 1883 and is found in Europe, New Zealand and North America.
Acalitus calycophthirus is an eriophyid mite which causes big bud galls on birch twigs. It is found in Europe and was first described by the Austrian zoologist, Alfred Nalepa in 1891.
Massalongia is a genus of flies in the family Cecidomyiidae. The larvae induce galls on birches.
Lasioptera rubi is a species of gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae and is found in Europe. It was first described in 1803 by the German priest, botanist and entomologist, Franz von Paula Schrank. The larvae feed within the tissue of brambles, creating abnormal plant growths known as galls.
Placochela nigripes is a gall midge which forms galls on the flower buds of elder, honeysuckle and privet. It was described by F Löw in 1877.
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