Coyote Brush Bud Gall Midge
Rhopalomyia californica
This record describes Rhopalomyia californica (species). Recorded family: Cecidomyiidae. Recorded order: Diptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adults emerge, mate, lay their eggs, and die, all within a 24-hour period (on warm days, as little as a 5- to 6-hour period. Portrait of an Ephemeral Adult Stage: Egg Maturation, Oviposition, and Longevity of the Gall Midge Rhopalomyia californica (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) . Larval ectoparasitoids include Torymus koebelei and T. baccaricidis . An endoparasitoid is Platygaster californica , that deposits in eggs and develops in the midge larvae. While this hymenoptera initially parasitizes eggs, it ultimately will incur high larval mortality from interactions with the ectoparasitoids. Larval endoparasitoids include Tetrastichus sp. . This genera rarely attacks hosts previously parasitized by others.
Wikipedia reference for Rhopalomyia californica: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhopalomyia_californica.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Diptera (Flies)
- Superfamily
- Sciaroidea
- Family
- Cecidomyiidae (Gall Midges and Wood Midges)
- Subfamily
- Cecidomyiinae
- Tribe
- Oligotrophini
- Genus
- Rhopalomyia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Author: Felt, 1908.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Diptera, the group containing Rhopalomyia californica. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Diptera includes over 150,000 described species of flies, mosquitoes, and midges. Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on Earth (CDC). Malaria alone causes ~249 million cases and over 608,000 deaths annually, mostly children under 5 (WHO). Vector-borne diseases account for over 17% of all infectious diseases, causing 700,000+ deaths per year.
Ecological role of the group
Despite their disease impact, flies are critical decomposers and pollinators. Hoverflies alone pollinate hundreds of crop and wildflower species. Flies are also the primary food source for many birds, bats, and fish. Forensic entomology relies heavily on fly species for crime scene analysis.
Economic and practical significance of the group
In the U.S., vector-borne disease cases tripled between 2004-2016, with over 640,000 cases reported in that period (CDC). Tickborne diseases doubled from 22,000 to 48,000 annual reports. Globally, mosquito-borne diseases cost billions in healthcare and lost productivity.
Recorded sources for this group: WHO, CDC, PNAS. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Coyote Brush Bud Gall Midge (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , Marci Hess