EntdeckenInsekten

Thistle Stem Gall Fly

Urophora cardui

The Thistle Stem Gall Fly is a tiny insect that makes special bumps called galls on thistle plants. These galls are like cozy homes for the fly's babies to grow in!

Lebensraum: Grasslands

Aussehen

The Thistle Stem Gall Fly is a small fly with a dark, robust body, often appearing brownish-black. Its most distinctive feature is its wings, which are patterned with dark bands and clear spots, giving them a mottled, checkered look. This wing pattern helps distinguish it from other small flies.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungDipteraFamilieTephritidaeGattungUrophora
Thistle Stem Gall Fly
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Thistle Stem Gall Fly

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Baby gall flies munch their way out of their plant home when grown!

Each thistle gall can hold several baby flies growing safely inside!

Scientists sometimes use these flies to help control invasive thistles!

Their nurseries are actually bumps growing right on a thistle stem!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Fähigkeit

Gall Architect

Thistle Stem Gall Fly larvae can create sturdy plant galls that shelter and feed them as they grow.

Fähigkeit

Plant Persuader

Thistle Stem Gall Fly injects special chemicals that trick thistle plants into growing protective galls.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite
6-10 mm
Größe
3-5 mm
Lebenserwartung
10-30 Tage
Anzahl der Beine
6

Ernährung und Fütterung

Adult flies sip plant nectar, while their larvae feast on the nourishing insides of thistle stems.

Altersunterschiede: Adults consume liquid sugars, while larvae feed on solid plant tissue within galls.

Hauptnahrung

  • nectar
  • honeydew
  • thistle stem tissue

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eats

Canada Thistle

Cirsium arvense

Larvae consume stem tissue, forming galls for shelter and food.

parasitizes

Thistle Gall Wasp

Eurytoma robusta

The wasp lays eggs in the gall, and its larvae eat the fly larvae.

eaten by

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Birds may pick open galls to eat the fly larvae inside.

Merkmale

Auch bekannt als

Noch keine Alternativnamen vorhanden.

Sammlungen

Sicherheit

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Don't touch the galls without asking an adult, as they are part of the plant's life.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Was ist der/die/das flügelspannweite von Thistle Stem Gall Fly?

6-10 mm

Was ist der/die/das größe von Thistle Stem Gall Fly?

3-5 mm

Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Thistle Stem Gall Fly?

10-30 Tage

Was frisst Thistle Stem Gall Fly?

Adult flies sip plant nectar, while their larvae feast on the nourishing insides of thistle stems.

Wo findet man Thistle Stem Gall Fly normalerweise?

Grasslands

Was ist der/die/das anzahl der Beine von Thistle Stem Gall Fly?

6

Snap-Karte

Zoome hinein, um Cluster aufzulösen und zu sehen, wo dieses Objekt fotografiert wurde.

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Neueste Snaps

Neueste Snaps erscheinen hier, wenn neue Beobachtungen hinzukommen.

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