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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera) » Gnats, Gall Midges, and March Flies (Bibionomorpha) » Fungus Gnats and Gall Midges (Sciaroidea) » Gall Midges and Wood Midges (Cecidomyiidae) » Gall Midges (Cecidomyiinae) » Cecidomyiidi » Cecidomyiini » Contarinia
Photo#735802
Galls (?) on ninebark - Contarinia
Copyright © 2013 Christine Hanrahan

Galls (?) on ninebark - Contarinia
Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa, Ottawa-Carleton, Ontario, Canada
June 15, 2012
Size: approx. 1/2 inch across
I found these growths (galls?) on the ninebark shrub (Physocarpus). Some appear to be on the leaves, the others in the flowerhead. I don't know if they are insect galls or some other growth. Does anyone know?

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Galls (?) on ninebark - Contarinia Galls (?) on ninebark - Contarinia
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Contributed by Christine Hanrahan on 6 January, 2013 - 10:17pm
Last updated 8 January, 2013 - 8:01pm

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Charley Eiseman, 8 January, 2013 - 8:01pm login or register to post comments

Contarinia sp (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
Christine, I am amazed that you discovered these galls. I have been collecting them here in Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania since I first discovered them around 1990. They are a flower bud gall on Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius). They are made by an undescribed Contarinia sp gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). The galls occur in mid-May here and the orange larvae drop to the soil, spin a cocoon, where they remain dormant until the next spring, one generation a year. So this species lives about 11 months out of a year as a larva. How amazing is that! These galls are so rare they are not in Gagne's red book, Gall midges of North America.
… John Plakidas, 8 January, 2013 - 12:09pm login or register to post comments

 
Contarinia in Ninebark pedicels
In Dexter, Michigan also: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/169006566.
… Susan Kielb, 23 June, 2023 - 10:17am login or register to post comments

 
I found a similar one in Pres
I found a similar one in Preston, Ontario today. iNat observation here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51280933
… Will Van Hemessen, 28 June, 2020 - 4:07pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for sharing, Will!
*
… John van der Linden, 28 June, 2020 - 10:28pm login or register to post comments

 
In Iowa too
… John van der Linden, 14 September, 2017 - 12:27pm login or register to post comments

 
Thank you
I am very pleased to know that these are indeed galls, and that they are made by one of the gall midges. Fascinating information - thank you. I had been going through Gagne's book for help, but now I understand why I found nothing (his book, however, is excellent).
… Christine Hanrahan, 8 January, 2013 - 12:38pm login or register to post comments

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