''Rhopalomyia clarkei'' 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 midges feed within plant tissue, creating abnormal plant growths called galls. Cecidomyiidae are very fragile small insects usu ...

. The larvae induce galls on two hosts: ''

Solidago altissima ''Solidago altissima'', the tall goldenrod or late goldenrod, is a North American species of goldenrod in the family Asteraceae which is widespread across much of Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is common in much of its range ...

'' and ''

Solidago rugosa ''Solidago rugosa'', commonly called the wrinkleleaf goldenrod or rough-stemmed goldenrod, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread across eastern and central Canada (from Ne ...

'' and are found in north-eastern and north central North America.

Galls and Biology

The galls are small, conical, and single-chambered, and typically occur on the lower side of leaves but sometimes on the upper side of leaves and on stems. Each gall contains a single white larva and is attached to either a major or minor vein when on leaves. On ''Solidago rugosa'', the galls are long and wide at the widest part, tapering toward the apex, green to yellowish green, and covered by short, whitish hairs. Young galls may sometimes have a tuft of hair at their base, almost as long as the gall itself. left, ''R.clarkei'' gall on '' Solidago'' The adult female is 2 mm long with a dull red abdomen and 17 antennal segments.

References

*Gall-Inducing Insects: From Anatomy to Biodiversity *A Catalog of the Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) of the World

External links

Naturespot - cecidomyiidaeINaturalist - Gall Project
Diptera of North America Gall-inducing insects Cecidomyiinae Articles created by Qbugbot Insects described in 1907 Taxa named by Ephraim Porter Felt {{Sciaroidea-stub