# Willow Pinecone Gall Midge (*Rabdophaga strobiloides*) The Willow Pinecone Gall Midge is a tiny insect that makes special galls on willow trees. These galls look like little pinecones and are homes for the midge's babies! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Willow Pinecone Gall Midge](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Willow_Pinecone_Gall_Midge_%28Rabdophaga_strobiloides%29_Gall_-_Guelph%252C_Ontario_2020-04-11_%2802%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willow_Pinecone_Gall_Midge_%28Rabdophaga_strobiloides%29_Gall_-_Guelph%252C_Ontario_2020-04-11_%2802%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Willow Pinecone Gall Midge is a tiny, delicate fly, typically reddish-brown to dark gray with transparent wings. Its slender body and long legs give it a mosquito-like appearance, though it is much smaller and often overlooked. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Diptera - **Family:** Cecidomyiidae - **Genus:** Rabdophaga ## Interesting facts - Each gall can contain several midge larvae, all safely hidden inside their leafy home. - Even when willow leaves fall, the midge galls stay on the branches all winter long! - The adult midge is so small, it could easily hide on your fingernail! - The strange 'pinecone' you see on a willow tree is actually a house built by this tiny midge! ## Special abilities - **Gall Architect:** Willow Pinecone Gall Midge can chemically induce willow trees to grow protective 'pinecone' galls, which shelter their developing young. - **Willow Whisperer:** Willow Pinecone Gall Midge has a precise ability to target specific willow buds, ensuring the gall forms exactly where their larvae need to develop. - **Bud Burrower:** Willow Pinecone Gall Midge can lay its eggs directly into young willow buds, initiating the gall formation process for its offspring. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 4-8 mm - **Size:** 2-4 mm - **Lifespan:** 7-14 days - **Flight Speed:** 0.5 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Young midges eat willow tree sap and tissue from inside their special plant home. - **Age differences:** Adult midges do not feed, while larvae consume willow plant tissue within the gall. - **Primary Foods:** Willow bud sap, Willow stem tissue, Willow leaf tissue ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** White Willow (*Salix alba*) — for gall formation and larval development. - **Eats:** [Black-capped Chickadee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-capped-chickadee) (*Poecile atricapillus*) — forages on galls to extract larvae. - **Parasitizes:** Gall Midge Parasitoid Wasp (*Platygaster saliciperda*) — larvae developing inside midge larvae. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch galls; they are homes for tiny insects! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Willow Pinecone Gall Midge? Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Willow Pinecone Gall Midge's wingspan? 4-8 mm ### How big is Willow Pinecone Gall Midge? 2-4 mm ### How long does Willow Pinecone Gall Midge live? 7-14 days ### How fast can Willow Pinecone Gall Midge fly? 0.5 km/h ### What does Willow Pinecone Gall Midge eat? Young midges eat willow tree sap and tissue from inside their special plant home. ### Where is Willow Pinecone Gall Midge usually found? Forests ### How many legs does Willow Pinecone Gall Midge have? 6 ## Where to spot - [International Peace Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/international-peace-garden) — US · Botanical Garden - [Whiteshell Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/whiteshell-provincial-park) — Manitoba, CA · State Park ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Willow Pinecone Gall Midge: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/willow-pinecone-gall-midge)