Rhopalomyia clarkei explained

Rhopalomyia clarkei is a species of gall midges, insects in the family Cecidomyiidae. The larvae induce galls on two hosts: Solidago altissima and Solidago rugosa 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 NaN2NaN2 long and NaN2NaN2 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.^[1] thumb|left| R.clarkei gall on Solidago

The adult female is 2 mm long with a dull red abdomen and 17 antennal segments.^[2]

References

• Gall-Inducing Insects: From Anatomy to Biodiversity ^[3]
• A Catalog of the Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) of the World ^[4]

External links

• Naturespot - cecidomyiidae
• INaturalist - Gall Project

Notes and References

1. Dorchin . Netta . McEvoy . Miles V. . Dowling . Todd A. . Abrahamson . Warren G. . Moore . Joseph G. . Revision of the goldenrod-galling Rhopalomyia species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in North America . . 2152 . 2152 . 1–35 . July 2009. 10.11646/zootaxa.2152.1.1 . 85821972 .
2. Felt . E. P. . 1908 . Gall Midges of the Goldenrod . The Ottawa Naturalist . 22 . 246–248.
3. Book: Fernandes. G. W.. Carneiro. M. A. A.. Isaias. R. M. S.. Gall-Inducing Insects: From Anatomy to Biodiversity. 369–395. March 2012. March 28, 2023.
4. Web site: 2018-03-27 . Gagné . Raymond J. . Jaschhof . Mathias . 2017 . A Catalog of the Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) of the World, Fourth Edition . Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture .