Willow Beakedgall Midge – Rhabdophaga rigidae

Willow Beakedgall Midge (Rhabdophaga rigidae)

Latin Name: (Rhabdophaga rigidae)

Common Name: Willow Beakedgall Midge

 Appearance: 

• The willow beaked-gall midge belongs to the Cecidomyiidae family of gall midges.
• After mating in the spring, the adult female midge places an egg in a newly expanded willow bud (typically terminal).

Territory: It may be found throughout North America. According to some reports, it can also be found in portions of eastern Asia, including Japan.

Damage caused by Willow Beakedgall Midge: 

Some gall midges are crop pests, but the Willow Beaked-Ball Midge does not significantly damage willows.

Description about Leafminers:

Leafminer adults are small flies with yellow sections on their thorax, legs, and abdomen. They are 0.1 inches (2.5 mm) long, black to blue, and have yellow portions on their thorax, legs, and stomach. There is generally a visible yellow patch at the base of the wings. The white eggs are deposited beneath the leaf’s epidermis and develop in 4 to 6 days. Maggot larvae are usually buried between leaf surfaces in the mines where they feed; they range in color from yellow to white and are 0.25 to 0.33 inches long, blunt at the back end and pointed in front. Pupation takes happen underground or in mines. During the summer, the life cycle takes around 23 days.

Life History and Habits:

Willow Beaked-Gall Midge, Rabdophaga ride, is the most common species of willow gall midge. After mating in the spring, the adult female midge places an egg in a newly expanded willow bud (typically terminal). The larva digs further into the bud when the egg hatches, causing the bud tissue to enlarge and create a gall, which generally has a “beak” at the top. The larva spends the winter within the gall, with a continual source of food (the gall’s contents) and refuge. The larva pupates in the spring, and an adult midge emerges to complete the cycle.