''Rabdophaga exsiccans'' is a

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 ...

. It was first described by Ewald Heinrich Rübsaamen in 1916. The larvae tunnel in the shoots of creeping willow (''

Salix repens ''Salix repens'', the creeping willow, is a small, shrubby species of willow in the family Salicaceae, growing up to 1.5metres in height. Found amongst sand dunes and heathlands, it is a polymorphic species, with a wide range of variants. In ...

'') and may cause the shoots to swell slightly.

Description

The orange or red larvae live under the bark of shoots. Before the larvae pupate they make emergence holes which may be the only indication of their presence. Shoots with larvae die off.

References

exsiccans Nematoceran flies of Europe Gall-inducing insects Insects described in 1916 Taxa named by Ewald Heinrich Rübsaamen Willow galls {{Bibionomorpha-stub