Rhopalomyia anthophila

Rhopalomyia anthophila
R. anthophila gall
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Cecidomyiidae
Supertribe:	Lasiopteridi
Tribe:	Oligotrophini
Genus:	Rhopalomyia
Species:	R. anthophila
Binomial name
Rhopalomyia anthophila (Osten Sacken, 1869)
Synonyms
Cecidomyia anthophila Osten Sacken, 1869

Rhopalomyia anthophilathe Downy Flower Gall Midge is a species of gall midges, insects in the family Cecidomyiidae. It induces galls on the host Solidago altissima across much of North America.

Galls and Biology

The gall that is a modified capitulum, which is cylindrical and measures 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) in length and 2–3.5 mm (0.08–0.14 in) in width. It is usually slightly wider bassaly than at its tip and is covered by short, white hairs that give it a fuzzy appearance. The gall is green, situated among normal capitula, accompanied by tiny leaves and/or ray florets at its base. The gall contains a single chamber with an inner, conical chamber that contains a single larva facing downwards. Larvae turn to face upwards before pupation. Galls become apparent in mid-August, and pupation takes place in late August to mid-September. ^{[1] [2]}

References

1. Dorchin, Netta; McEvoy, Miles V.; Dowling, Todd A.; Abrahamson, Warren G.; Moore, Joseph G. (July 2009). "Revision of the goldenrod-galling Rhopalomyia species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in North America" (PDF). Zootaxa . 2152 (2152): 1–35. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2152.1.1. S2CID   85821972.
2. Felt, Ephraim Porter (1917). "Key to American Insect Galls". New York State Museum Bulletin. 200: 95–97.

External links

• Naturespot - cecidomyiidae
• INaturalist - Gall Project

Gall-Inducing Insects: From Anatomy to Biodiversity ^[1]
A Catalog of the Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) of the World ^[2]

1. Fernandes, G. W.; Carneiro, M. A. A.; Isaias, R. M. S. (March 2012). Gall-Inducing Insects: From Anatomy to Biodiversity (PDF). pp. 369–395. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
2. Gagné, Raymond J.; Jaschhof, Mathias (2017). "A Catalog of the Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) of the World, Fourth Edition" (PDF). Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2017. Retrieved 2018-03-27.