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The nettle pouch gall develops in leaf veins, leaf petioles, flower stalks and sometimes the stem of ''
The galls are irregularly shaped, smooth, often shiny, and coloured from purplish to pale green, exhibiting thickened walls, with a narrow slit-shaped opening, normally on the underside.Redfern, Page 467 The size is from 3–8 mm. A number of galls are often found next to each other on the same or different plant structures, and they may coalesce. The galls are mainly found around the growing apex and exhibit a wide range of forms, dependent on the organ in which they are situated.
Several, or sometimes one white larva is found in each gall, feeding upon the plant tissues. The galls are first seen in May, mature in the autumn, at which point the larvae leave the pouch gall and pupate in the ground. The adults emerge in the following spring and the cycle starts again.Darlington, Page 141
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Taxonomy
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5226778 Cecidomyiinae Gall-inducing insects Insects described in 1840 Nematoceran flies of Europe
Urtica dioica
''Urtica dioica'', often known as common nettle, burn nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Ori ...
'' and ''Urtica urens
''Urtica urens'', commonly known as annual nettle, dwarf nettle, small nettle, dog nettle, or burning nettle, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant species in the nettle family Urticaceae. It is native to Eurasia, including the Himalayan regions ...
''. This structure is caused by the gall midge
Cecidomyiidae is a family of flies known as gall midges or gall gnats. As the name implies, the larvae of most gall midges feed within plant tissue, creating abnormal plant growths called galls. Cecidomyiidae are very fragile small insects us ...
or gnat ''Dasineura urticae'', also spelled ''Dasyneura urticae''.Stubbs, Page 72 Synonyms are ''Perrisia urticae'' and ''Cecidomyia urticae''.Darlington, Page 141
Physical appearance of the galls
The galls are irregularly shaped, smooth, often shiny, and coloured from purplish to pale green, exhibiting thickened walls, with a narrow slit-shaped opening, normally on the underside.Redfern, Page 467 The size is from 3–8 mm. A number of galls are often found next to each other on the same or different plant structures, and they may coalesce. The galls are mainly found around the growing apex and exhibit a wide range of forms, dependent on the organ in which they are situated.
Life-cycle
Several, or sometimes one white larva is found in each gall, feeding upon the plant tissues. The galls are first seen in May, mature in the autumn, at which point the larvae leave the pouch gall and pupate in the ground. The adults emerge in the following spring and the cycle starts again.Darlington, Page 141
Predators and inquilines
A common gall; red, pink or orange larvae are sometimes also found within the pouch of the galls. These larvae are predator or inquiline cecids flies.Distribution
The nettle pouch gall shows a scattered distribution throughout the United Kingdom and is under recorded./ref>
References
Sources
* Darlington, Arnold (1968). ''The Pocket Encyclopaedia of Plant Galls in colour''. Pub. Blandford Press. Dorset. * Redfern, Margaret & Shirley, Peter (2002). ''British Plant Galls. Identification of galls on plants & fungi.'' AIDGAP. Shrewsbury : Field Studies Council. . * Stubbs, F. B. Edit. (1986) ''Provisional Keys to British Plant Galls''. Pub. Brit Plant Gall Soc. .External links
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Taxonomy
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5226778 Cecidomyiinae Gall-inducing insects Insects described in 1840 Nematoceran flies of Europe