Rabdophaga pierreana

Rabdophaga pierreana is a gall midge which forms galls on the young shoots of willow (Salix species). It was first described by Jean-Jacques Kieffer in 1909.

Rabdophaga pierreana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Cecidomyiidae
Genus:	Rabdophaga
Species:	R. pierreana
Binomial name
Rabdophaga pierreana (Kieffer, 1909)
Synonyms[1]
Dasineura pierreana Perrisia pierreana Kieffer, 1909

Description

The gall is an ovoid swelling on a young shoot, with one large chamber containing up to twenty-two red larvae. In Britain the gall is found on eared willow (Salix aurita), elsewhere it has been found on S. caprea, S. cinerea and S. myrsinfolia (and possibly on S.hastata). The similar looking gall, R. dubiosa has many individual chambers with a yellow or light orange larvae in each.^[2][3]

Distribution

Has been recorded from Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain and Poland.^[1][2][3]