#cecidomyiidae — Public Fediverse posts

These colorful lesions were originally thought to be just fungal infections (Botryosphaeria dothidea) but were eventually found to harbor midge larvae (Asteromyia carbonifera) that farm the fungi for food and use the hardened hyphae to prevent (sometimes) parasitic wasps from ovipositing into the gall. In turn, emerging female flies dutifully transmit spores to new plants each generation. #goldenrod #fly #diptera #fungus #fungi #mutualism #gall #galls #solidago #cecidomyiidae #insects #entomology

#FridayFlyday: after seeing boxwood leaf miners emerging for the first time last weekend, the day before yesterday I saw lots of females ovipositing in the fresh new boxwood leaves!!

#bugstodon #insects #flies #midges #parasitism #galls #Diptera #Cecidomyiidae

Best discovery at this weekend's yard sale day: I saw a bunch of tiny orange midges swarming around certain shrubs in people's yards. Looking closer, I saw they were molting from galls on the undersides of the leaves—often in bundles of three or four, leaving empty exuviae behind. Many were mating, presumably about to start the cycle all over again.

Just got around to looking it up. They are boxwood leaf miners, a kind of gall midge (family Cecidomyiidae). More information: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN1291

#bugstodon #insects #flies #midges #parasitism #galls #Diptera #Cecidomyiidae

Not a mosquito but a Cecidomyiinae, likely of the genus Lasioptera sp: a kind of gall midget or gall gnat.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81412856

From a lucky shot in focus back in 2021. Thanks to the #iNaturalist community for the ID. With Cecidomyiidae being a family likely more speciose than even beetles [1], the chances of identifying this animal are slim.

[1] Hebert et al. 2016 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2015.0333

#iNaturalist #Diptera #Cecidomyiidae #entomology #insects #flies #midges

Something a little different for #FlyDay! These fantastical polka dots are induced by the dogwood eyespot gall midge, _Parallelodiplosis subtruncata_. Yes, these too are flies. They don't really harm the tree.

More on this species: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/dogwood-eyespot-gall-midge

#FlyFriday #bugstodon #insects #flies #Diptera #Cecidomyiidae

Del #paraulogic d’ahir:

cecidi
m. Hipertròfia de teixits vegetals induïda per agents físics o químics diversos, produïts generalment per paràsits, especialment per insectes i àcars especialitzats.

Una bona sorpresa a l’enllaçar-se amb una de les meves afeccions: l’entomologia—l’estudi dels insectes. Un dels grups més diversos és el #Cecidomyiidae, un grup cosí dels mosquits les larves dels quals indueixen agalls, o cecidis, a les plantes i se’n nodreixen.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81412856
#iNaturalist