Stubby Needlegall Midge – Conticaria coloradensis

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Stubby Needlegall Midge (Conticaria coloradensis)

Latin Name: Contarinia coloradensis

Common Name: Stubby Needle Gall midge or (Pine bud gall midge)

Appearance: 

  • The pine needle gall midge, also known as the stubby needle gall midge, is a mosquito-like bug that deposits its eggs on growing pine needles.
  • The pupa is in Orange, legless larva.
  • Chewing mouthparts are present in both adults and larvae.

Hosts plants: 

The pine needle gall midge prefers Virginia pine as a host plant.

Territory: 

They are found throughout the range of its four hackberry hosts and throughout North America.

Damage insect caused by Stubby needle gall midge:

The larvae are the only developmental stage that causes harm. The larvae eat pine needles, causing a gall to grow. Pine needles get stunted as a result of galls.

Description about Leaf chewers:

Insect chewing damage to plants can take several forms. Foliage or flowers may vanish when certain insects eat them. Occasionally, the plant will appear ragged and, upon closer inspection, will reveal bitten edges or cores. Plants can be cut at the root and topple over, or twigs can be girdled and die as a result. Mining or boring is the process of causing harm to a plant through chewing. Only the upper or lower portions are sometimes destroyed, producing a brown, burned look or skeletonization (openings between the veins).

Life History and Habits:

Tiny larvae hatch, wiggle down the needle to eat, and cause growing hands to produce pale green galls in which the larvae feed and multiply. Older grubs are Orange in colour and have a cigar-like form. At least two larvae can infest one gall. The bases of galled needles are bloated and stunted, and the galls darken as they mature. Like other closely similar species, Maggots most likely fall to the ground when mature to spend the winter in a silken cocoon. Larvae moult into pupae, from which a new generation of midges emerges to infest newly emerging needles, sometime throughout the winter and early spring.