| Rabdophaga rosacea | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Cecidomyiidae |
| Genus: | Rabdophaga |
| Species: | R. rosacea |
| Binomial name | |
| Rabdophaga rosacea | |
Rabdophaga rosacea is a species of gall midge that creates rosette galls on roses found in the central plains of North America. [2] [3] [4]
The species was first described in 1908 by Ephraim Porter Felt from a collection made by Norman Criddle in Aweme, Manitoba, Canada. [1] [5] The holotype, an adult male, is in the New York State Museum collection. [5]
The midge causes galls to form on the terminal buds of native roses (Rosa spp.) The galls are tightly packed leafy rosettes with a central cavity. [3] [4] [2]
The genus name 'Rabdophaga' is formed from two Greek roots; rhabdos- meaning a rod or staff [6] and -phaga meaning 'eater' [7] In older references the genus name is spelled 'Rhabdophaga'. [4] The specific name 'rosacea' refers to the genus of plants that are the hosts of the midge. [3] [4] [2]
As gall midges are one of the most diverse yet least known groups of true flies, a taxonomic revision of the world fauna of this group is in process. [8] In 2014, it was proposed that Rhadophaga rosacea be placed in Dasineura, a broadly defined polyphyletic genus of gall midges, as Dasineura rosacea. [5] Both Radophaga and Dasineura are within the tribe Dasineurini, a group of plant feeders that share several physical similarities. [5]