Cecidomyiidae is a family of flies known as gall midges or gall gnats. As the name implies, the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of most gall midges feed within

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

tissue, creating abnormal plant growths called

gall Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...

s. Cecidomyiidae are very fragile small insects usually only in length; many are less than long. They are characterised by hairy wings, unusual in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

, and have long antennae. Some Cecidomyiids are also known for the strange phenomenon of

paedogenesis Neoteny (), also called juvenilization,Montagu, A. (1989). Growing Young. Bergin & Garvey: CT. is the delaying or slowing of the physiological, or somatic, development of an organism, typically an animal. Neoteny is found in modern humans compare ...

in which the larval stage reproduces without maturing first. In some species, the daughter larvae consume the mother, while in others, reproduction occurs later on in the egg or pupa. More than 6,650

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

and 830

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

are described worldwide, though this is certainly an underestimate of the actual diversity of this family. A DNA barcoding study published in 2016 estimated the fauna of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

alone to be in excess of 16,000 species, hinting at a staggering global count of over 1 million cecidomyiid species that have yet to be described, which would make it the most speciose single family in the entire animal kingdom. A second study performed in Costa Rica also found Cecidomyiidae to be the most diverse family of flies, supporting this assertion. WillistonCecidomyiidae

Description

Cecidomyiidae are minute to small (0.5–3.0 mm), rarely larger (up to 8 mm, wing length 15 mm) flies with a delicate appearance. Except for a few genera with reduced wings, the eyes are holoptic. The mouthparts are reduced. Cecidomyiid antennae are notably long, with 12–14 segments, (sometimes fewer and up to 40 in some genera). The antennal segments either consist of a basal thickening and petiole or they are binodal, with a proximal node, an intermediate petiole and a distal node. Basal, medial, and apical whorls of hairs occur on the antennal segments. In some species, whorls of loop-shaped sensory filaments are also found, the basal or medial one sometimes being reduced. Some gall flies have only one (basal) whorl of hairs on the antennal segments, and the sensoria (transparent sensory appendages) differ in size and shape. The filaments are thread-like in the Porricondylinae and in all the Cecidomyiinae and take the form of long loops in the supertribe Cecidomyiidi). Ocelli are present only in the Lestremiinae. The wings are usually clear, rarely patterned. The wing bears

microtrichia Insect morphology is the study and description of the physical form of insects. The terminology used to describe insects is similar to that used for other arthropods due to their shared evolutionary history. Three physical features separate insec ...

, often as scales, and some species have macrotrichia. The number of longitudinal veins is reduced. Only

veins Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated b ...

R1, R4+5, M3+4 and Cu1 are well developed in most species. The medial veins M1 and M2 are developed only in primitive groups, and the costa usually has a break just beyond vein R5. The legs are long and slender, without apical bristles. File:Catochini wing veins.svg , Catochini wing veins File:Cecidomyiinae wing veins.svg , Cecidomyiinae wing veins File:Lasiopterini wing veins.svg , Lasiopterini wing veins File:Lestremiini wing veins.svg , Lestremiini wing veins File:Micromyini and Peromyiini wing veins.svg , Micromyini and Peromyiini wing veins File:Porricondylinae (most) wing veins.svg , Porricondylinae (most) wing veins File:Winnertziini wing veins.svg , Winnertziini wing veins The genitalia of males consist of gonocoxites, gonostyles, aedeagus, and tergites 9 and 10. Lower (in the evolutionary sense) gall flies often have sclerotized parameres and a more or less transparent plate (the tegmen) located above theaedeagus-the tegmen. In higher gall flies, the parameres and tegmen are not developed. In these, instead, close to the aedeagus, is a triangular basal outgrowth of the gonocoxites called the gonosterna. Supporting structures called apodema are located near the base of the genitalia in males; these are often equipped with two outgrowths. The ovipositor is short, lamelliform, or long, mobile, and in some species, acicular. The larva is peripneustic. The head is tiny, cone-shaped, and has two posterolateral extensions. The mouthparts are reduced, with minute styliform mandibles. The relatively prominent antennae are two-segmented. Integumental setae or papillae are important in taxonomy since they are constant in number within groups. The prothorax has sclerotized sternal spatula (most). The anus is terminal in the Lestremiinae and paedogenetic in the Porricondylinae and ventral in other groups. The pupa is exarate (in a few species it is enclosed within the last instar larval integument). The anterior spiracle and anterior angle of antennal bases is prominent (most). Asphondylia solidaginis pupa gall

As a pest or biological control

Many species are economically significant, especially the Hessian fly, a wheat pest, as the galls cause severe damage. Other important pests of this family are the wheat blossom midge '' Sitodiplosis mosellana'', the Asian rice gall midge (''Orseolia oryzae'') and the

African rice gall midge ''Orseolia oryzivora'', also called the African rice gall midge, is a species of small fly in the family Cecidomyiidae. It is a major insect pest of rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ...

''O. oryzivora''. The millet grain midge (''

Geromyia penniseti ''Geromyia penniseti'', the millet grain midge, is a species of gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae. It is found in Africa and South Asia. During the rainy season, it feeds on the developing grains of pearl millet Pearl millet (''Cenchrus ...

''), sorghum midge (''

Contarinia sorghicola ''Stenodiplosis sorghicola'', the sorghum midge, is a species of gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae. It is a pest of millets. The species is native to Africa and is also found in India. During the rainy season, it feeds on the developing grai ...

''), and African rice gall midge (''

Orseolia oryzivora ''Orseolia oryzivora'', also called the African rice gall midge, is a species of small fly in the family Cecidomyiidae. It is a major insect pest of rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ...

'') attack grain crops such as

pearl millet Pearl millet (''Cenchrus americanus'', commonly known as the synonym ''Pennisetum glaucum''; also known as 'Bajra' in Hindi, 'Sajje' in Kannada, 'Kambu' in Tamil, 'Bajeer' in Kumaoni and 'Maiwa' in Hausa, 'Mexoeira' in Mozambique) is the most w ...

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...

and other countries of the

Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...

in West Africa. Other pests are the coffee flower midge (''Dasyneura coffeae''), Soybean pod gall midge, (''Asphondylia yushimai'') pine needle gall midge (''Thecodiplosis japonensis''), the

lentil The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest pro ...

flower midge (''

Contarinia lentis ''Contarinia'' is a genus of midges, small flies in the family Cecidomyiidae. Description As cecidomids, adult ''Contarinia'' are flies with hairy wings and long antennae. Males have antennal flagellomeres equally binodose, with each node sur ...

''), the

lucerne Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...

flower midge ('' C. medicaginis''), and the

alfalfa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as w ...

sprout midge (''

Dasineura ignorata ''Dasineura'' is a genus of midges in the family Cecidomyiidae, some of which cause galls on plants such as ''Dasineura crataegi'' on hawthorn (''Crataegus monogyna'') and '' Dasineura fraxinea'' on ash (''Fraxinus excelsior ''Fraxinus excels ...

'') on the Leguminosae; the black locust tree gall midge (''Obolodiplosis robiniae''), the swede midge (''

Contarinia nasturtii ''Contarinia nasturtii'', the swede midge, is a small fly, the larvae of which infest brassica plants, causing twisting and distortion of the leaf stems and foliage including death of the growing point in seedlings, or damage to developing flowe ...

''), and the brassica pod midge (''

Dasineura brassicae ''Dasineura brassicae'', the brassica pod midge, is a rapeseed Pest (organism), pest. Gallery File:Dasineura brassicae adult (24562493456).jpg, Female with the ovopositor visible File:Dasineura brassicae larva (24588608865).jpg, Larva on the gr ...

'') on the Cruciferae; the

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...

midge (''

Contarinia pyrivora ''Contarinia'' is a genus of midges, small flies in the family Cecidomyiidae. Description As cecidomids, adult ''Contarinia'' are flies with hairy wings and long antennae. Males have antennal flagellomeres equally binodose, with each node sur ...

'') and the

raspberry The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with w ...

cane midge (''

Resseliella theobaldi ''Resseliella'' is a genus of gall midges in the family Cecidomyiidae. There are at least 50 described species in ''Resseliella''. Species These 50 species belong to the genus ''Resseliella'': * '' Resseliella aurata'' (Felt, 1908) * '' Resselie ...

'') on fruit crops; '' Horidiplosis ficifolii'' on ornamental figs, and the rosette gall midge (''

Rhopalomyia solidaginis ''Rhopalomyia solidaginis'', the goldenrod bunch gall, is a species of gall midges, insects in the family Cecidomyiidae Cecidomyiidae is a family of flies known as gall midges or gall gnats. As the name implies, the larvae of most gall midg ...

'') on goldenrod stalks, Porricondylini spp. on ''Citrus'', '' Lestremia'' spp. on sweet potato, yam, ginger, garlic, onions, taro tubers, and potato, '' Lestodiplosis'' spp., '' Acaroletes'' spp., and ''Aphidoletes'' spp. on oranges, and '' Arthrocnodax'' spp. on limes.Dennis S Hill 1987 ''Agricultural Insect Pests of tropics and their control'' Cambridge. University Press , New York Parasitoids hosted by Cecidomyiidae include

Braconidae The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. One analysis ...

(Opiinae, Euphorinae),

Eurytomidae The Eurytomidae are a family within the superfamily Chalcidoidea. Unlike most chalcidoids, the larvae of many are phytophagous (feeding in stems, seeds, or galls), while others are more typical parasitoids, though even then the hosts are usually ...

Eulophidae The Eulophidae are a large family of hymenopteran insects, with over 4,300 described species in some 300 genera. The family includes the genus ''Elasmus'', which used to be treated as a separate family, "Elasmidae", and is now treated as a subf ...

, Torymidae,

Pteromalidae The Pteromalidae are a very large family of mostly parasitoid wasps, with some 3,450 described species in about 640 genera (the number was greater, but many species and genera have been reduced by synonymy in recent years). The subfamily-level d ...

, Eupelmidae,

Trichogrammatidae The Trichogrammatidae are a family of tiny wasps in the Chalcidoidea that include some of the smallest of all insects, with most species having adults less than 1 mm in length, with species of ''Megaphragma'' having an adult body length le ...

, and

Aphelinidae The Aphelinidae are a moderate-sized family of tiny parasitic wasps, with about 1100 described species in some 28 genera. These minute insects are challenging to study, as they deteriorate rapidly after death unless extreme care is taken (e.g., p ...

. All contain species which are actual or potential biological agents. A large number of gall midge species are natural enemies of other crop pests. Their larvae are

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

y, and some are reported as parasitic. The most common prey are aphids and

spider mites Spider mites are members of the Tetranychidae family, which includes about 1,200 species. They are part of the subclass Acari (mites). Spider mites generally live on the undersides of leaves of plants, where they may spin protective silk webs, a ...

, followed by

scale insect Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than the ...

s, then other small prey such as

whiteflies Whiteflies are Hemipterans that typically feed on the undersides of plant leaves. They comprise the family Aleyrodidae, the only family in the superfamily Aleyrodoidea. More than 1550 species have been described. Description and taxonomy The ...

and

thrips Thrips ( order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...

, which eat the eggs of other insects or mites. As the

e are incapable of moving considerable distances, a substantial population of prey must be present before the adults lay eggs, and the Cecidiomyiidae are most frequently seen during pest outbreaks. One species, ''

Aphidoletes aphidimyza ''Aphidoletes aphidimyza'', commonly referred to as the aphid midge, is a midge whose larvae feed on over 70 aphid species, including the green peach aphid. Description The adults are small (less than long), black, delicate flies (similar ...

'', is an important component of biological control programs for greenhouse crops and is widely sold in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. In South Africa, ''Dasineura rubiformis'' has been deployed against invasive Australian ''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

'' species.

References

External links

Diptera.info images

at delta-intkey.com {{Taxonbar, from=Q768519 Nematocera families Gall-inducing insects Taxa named by Edward Newman Articles containing video clips Taxa described in 1835

Description

As a pest or biological control

References

Further reading

Economic

Taxonomy

External links