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Species Rhopalomyia inquisitor-maybe - Rhopalomyia inquisitor, maybe

Representative Images

galls on Goldenrod leaf - Rhopalomyia inquisitor-maybe Insect related? - Rhopalomyia inquisitor-maybe Cecidomyiidae Galls on Goldenrod leaf - Rhopalomyia inquisitor-maybe Cecidomyiidae Galls on Goldenrod leaf - Rhopalomyia inquisitor-maybe Unid Leafminer Dsg5 - Rhopalomyia inquisitor-maybe Unid Leafminer Dsg7 - Rhopalomyia inquisitor-maybe Unid Leafminer Dsg7 - Rhopalomyia inquisitor-maybe Goldenrod Leaf Gall - Rhopalomyia inquisitor-maybe

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon ("Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera))
Infraorder Bibionomorpha (Gnats, Gall Midges, and March Flies)
Superfamily Sciaroidea (Fungus Gnats and Gall Midges)
Family Cecidomyiidae (Gall Midges and Wood Midges)
Subfamily Cecidomyiinae (Gall Midges)
Supertribe Lasiopteridi
Tribe Oligotrophini
Genus Rhopalomyia
Species inquisitor-maybe (Rhopalomyia inquisitor, maybe)

Explanation of Names

Author: Felt, 1908

Remarks

When Felt (1908) described this species, he believed it to be an inquiline in rosette galls of R. capitata on Solidago gigantea. However, R. inquisitor is closely related to R. clarkei, and Dorchin et al. (2009) hypothesize that R. inquisitor is actually responsible for the galls like those of R. clarkei that are found on S. gigantea. Dorchin et al. determined through DNA analysis that the galls on S. gigantea are caused by a species other than R. clarkei (which forms galls on S. altissima and S. rugosa), but they were unable to rear any adults to confirm their identity.

Print References

DORCHIN, NETTA, MILES V. McEVOY, TODD A. DOWLING, WARREN G. ABRAHAMSON, & JOSEPH G. MOORE. 2009. Revision of the goldenrod-galling Rhopalomyia species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in North America. Zootaxa 2152: 1–35.
Contributed by Charley Eiseman on 25 November, 2012 - 5:37pm
Last updated 11 November, 2015 - 6:07pm

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