locust gall midge

Obolodiplosis robiniae

The locust gall midge is a tiny insect that makes special galls on locust trees. These galls look like little round bumps and are homes for the midge's babies. They help the trees in their own special way!

Lebensraum: Forests

Aussehen

The locust gall midge is a tiny, delicate fly, typically reddish-brown with clear, membranous wings. It is distinguished by its minute size and slender body, often hard to spot without looking closely at host leaves.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungDipteraFamilieCecidomyiidaeGattungObolodiplosis

locust gall midge

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Baby midges live inside these plant galls, munching on their cozy, edible walls!

Many galls can be found on a single leaf, making it look very bumpy!

The galls look like tiny, pea-sized green pouches on black locust leaves!

These tiny insects are flies, not related to grasshoppers or actual locusts!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

The locust gall midge can make special 'galls' on black locust leaves because they inject chemicals that reshape plant cells, creating a protective home for their larvae.

The locust gall midge can precisely lay eggs in young black locust leaf tissue because they have specialized ovipositors, ensuring offspring develop safely.

The locust gall midge larvae can control plant growth because they release substances that create unique protective shelters called galls.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite: 2-5 mm
Größe: 1-3 mm
Lebenserwartung: 7-14 Tage
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

Larvae munch on plant sap and tissues inside galls; adults typically don't feed much.

Altersunterschiede: Larvae feed exclusively within galls; adults have vestigial mouthparts and generally do not feed.

Hauptnahrung

Robinia pseudoacacia leaf tissue
Robinia pseudoacacia plant sap
Robinia pseudoacacia plant cells

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

depends on

Black Locust

Robinia pseudoacacia

Larvae develop and feed inside galls on its leaves.

parasitizes

Locust Gall Midge Parasitoid Wasp

Platygaster robiniae

Larvae of this tiny wasp develop inside the midge larvae.

parasitizes

Locust Gall Midge Parasitoid

Metaphycus robiniae

This wasp lays eggs in the midge larvae, controlling populations.

Merkmale

Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger leben den größten Teil ihres Lebens allein und interagieren mit Artgenossen nur zur Paarung oder zur Aufzucht der Jungen.

Pflanzenfressend

Dieses Merkmal kennzeichnet Lebewesen, deren Ernährung vollständig oder hauptsächlich aus pflanzlichem Material besteht.

Wald

Waldlebensräume sind terrestrische Lebensräume, die von dichtem Baumbestand dominiert werden und eine große Vielfalt an Pflanzen- und Tierarten beherbergen.