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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 » Contarinia undescribed-species-on-milkweed
Photo#1117917
Milkweed Leaffolder - Contarinia undescribed-species-on-milkweed
Copyright © 2015 Aaron Hunt

Milkweed Leaffolder - Contarinia undescribed-species-on-milkweed
Block Island, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA
August 7, 2015
Dozens of these were found on the leaves at the top of a milkweed plant. The leaves were evidently tied as they grew so that they were crinkled. Any idea what larvae might do this? I'm trying to raise them so hopefully we'll find out for sure at some point. The larvae vary in size but are no more than a few millimeters long. They arch and then hop up to a few inches. Also found was one larger larva (Lepidopteran?) and a three beetles.

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Milkweed Leaffolder - Contarinia undescribed-species-on-milkweed Milkweed Leaffolder - Contarinia undescribed-species-on-milkweed Milkweed Leaffolder - Contarinia undescribed-species-on-milkweed Milkweed Leaffolder - Contarinia undescribed-species-on-milkweed Milkweed Leaffolder - Contarinia undescribed-species-on-milkweed Milkweed Leaffolder - Contarinia undescribed-species-on-milkweed
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Contributed by Aaron Hunt on 8 August, 2015 - 7:23pm
Last updated 23 June, 2016 - 12:47am

The ol' arch and hop!
I just got introduced to this behavior myself, with a gall midge that drops out of Douglas fir trees in the autumn here in Washington state. In the following post I've included a photo of an arched larva belonging to that species, along with a link to a video of its vaulting action and a quote from Ray Gagne about the behavior. FYI! :)

… John van der Linden, 15 December, 2018 - 2:54am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Contarinia.

Just one species is known... I was just being inconsistent, I guess.
… Charley Eiseman, 15 September, 2015 - 7:55pm login or register to post comments

 
Great!
My first new insect for the guide! Unfortunately none of these survived when I tried to raise them. Not sure what happened.
… Aaron Hunt, 15 September, 2015 - 8:47pm login or register to post comments

 
Rearing gall midges
Gall midge larvae that exit their galls need to be given soil to burrow into.
… Charley Eiseman, 15 September, 2015 - 8:51pm login or register to post comments

 
Huh
I guess that's why they didn't feed. Lesson learned. Hopefully I can get some next year...
… Aaron Hunt, 15 September, 2015 - 9:02pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Do you have any photos of the crinkled leaves? Gagné (1) says "the damage was described as a swollen midrib fold in Felt (1940) but as a rolled leaf in his unpublished notebook." I have never seen these galls (though I've been keeping an eye out for them), and apparently Ray Gagné hasn't either. Another gall midge causes a tapered stem swelling on milkweed.
… Charley Eiseman, 15 September, 2015 - 7:32pm login or register to post comments

 
Unfortunately, no
I figured when I saw them they wore the work of a leaf folding caterpillar rather than a gall-causing larva so I didn't take pictures. If I see any next year I'll be sure to take plenty. I'll also look for the swollen stems you mentioned. Are there multiple leaf folding species on milkweed or is there another reason you've moved these to the genus when most images of this genus are at the species level?
… Aaron Hunt, 15 September, 2015 - 7:38pm login or register to post comments

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