Rhododendron Gall Midge – Clinodiplosis rhododendri

Rhododendron Gall Midge (Clinodiplosis rhododendri) 

Latin Name: Clinodiplosis rhododendri

Common Name: Rhododendron Gall Midge

Appearance: 

• Clinodiplosisrhododendri is a clearwing moth borer that feeds Rhododendron and deciduous azalea.
• This gall midge is a light brown mosquito-like insect that feeds on Rhododendron and deciduous azalea.
• Males have hairy antennae that are longer than their bodies, while females have a small ovipositor and antennae approximately the same length as their bodies. The white flattened maggot is visible but little.

Hosts plants:

Both Rhododendron catawbiensis and R. maximum are the pet plants of rhododendron gall midge.

Territory:

Rhododendron Gall Midge may be found over the whole range of its host plants.

Damage insect caused by Rhododendron Gall Midge: 

Clinodiplosis rhododendri, the rhododendron gall midge, appears to target exclusively fresh growth of rhododendrons. Gall midge infestations are uncommon and intermittent, but they may cause significant harm when they do occur.

Description about Gall makers:

Gall makers arrive in silence, like old buccaneers, but without eye patches or shoulder parrots. They also confiscate their rewards quickly and effectively, putting them to work doing their bidding with eye-catching results. Gall-producing insects include a variety of wasps, flies, and a few aphids and mites. Instead of transporting its loot to a secluded cove, the gall maker chemically hijacks a leaf bud or other spot on a tree to construct a casing of plant tissue that protects and nurtures the gall maker’s growing children. Over half of these fascinating critters are attracted to oak trees. Galls can develop on the leaves, bark, flowers, buds, or roots of plants. Except for some twig and stem galls, most growths do not affect healthy trees.

Life History and Habits:

This insect spends the winter as a pre-pupa in the soil, developing into a whole pupa in the spring. Because the adults are so tiny (less than 1/16′′), they might be challenging to spot. Early discovery and treatment will considerably minimize the pest population and, as a result, the harm that occurs later in the development cycle. As soon as the eggs are free of each other, they are placed on the undersurfaces or rolled edges of the leaves. The eggs hatch in three days, and the larvae devour leaf tissue. In around seven days, the larvae reach maturity, fall to the ground, and pupate within a cocoon. Most midge populations will last three generations, but this might increase to four to five generations each year depending on growth circumstances.