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Photo#301483
More goldenrod fauna - Dasineura carbonaria

More goldenrod fauna - Dasineura carbonaria
Pennypack Restoration Trust, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA
July 7, 2009
Apparently a Diptera maggot found among the leaves of some sort of goldenrod gall. It looks different from the bunch gall, though. How many kinds of goldenrod galls are there?
More on goldenrod gall fauna
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More goldenrod fauna - Dasineura carbonaria More goldenrod fauna - Dasineura carbonaria More goldenrod fauna - Dasineura carbonaria More goldenrod fauna - Dasineura carbonaria

Moved
Moved from Flies.
Identified by Dr. Netta Dorchin, e-mail communication.

 
Aha...
This species uses Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod), not Solidago goldenrods. That's why it didn't show up in my list below.

 
Yes, but
Thanks to you I contacted Dr. Gagne, who suggested that I talk to Dr. Dorchin, who identified this. I added all her information to the guide page. Nice team work!

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Goldenrod bunch galls
There are several tephritids and cecidomyiids that cause bunch galls on goldenrod. I'm pretty sure orange larvae would indicate the latter. I may be able to figure this one out when I get back to my books.

 
Bunch galls
There seem to be at least two types of bunch galls, the other one is like this one. They seem to be a lot bigger and I haven't found any occupants yet this year but I found some last Fall. I should post photos of both types. I am amazed at the many things that you can find on goldenrods.

 
The options...
According to Gagne (1):

Dasineura radifolii causes a closed cluster of several leaves on the apex of a branch.

3 to 5 species of Rhopalomyia (two or three of the five may actually be the same species) cause galls "with numerous, imbricated leaves, the inner leaves narrow; on Solidago canadensis and close relatives."

Asphondylia monacha causes galls with numerous leaves, "the internal leaves not linear and narrow, merely shortened," with the central larval cell lined with white symbiotic fungus.

These are all midges. Additionally, Felt (2) lists two Oedaspis species (which I believe are tephritids) that make 1/2-3/4" long apical rosette galls.

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