Rabdophaga rosariella

Rabdophaga rosariella
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Cecidomyiidae
Genus:	Rabdophaga
Species:	R. rosariella
Binomial name
Rabdophaga rosariella (Kieffer, 1897)

Rabdophaga rosariella is a species of gall midge which forms galls on sallows (Salix species). It was first described by Jean-Jacques Kieffer in 1897.

Description

The gall is a small rosette, most often in an axillary bud on sallows. In Britain sallow usually refers to S. aurita, S caprea, S. cinerea and the hybrids between these species. The rosette leaves are not obviously hairy and the full grown larva does not have a sternal spatula (i.e. a structure on the underside of the thorax of the final (third) instar larva of Cecidomyiidae).[1] Larvae of R. rosariella are unique as all other known Rabdophaga larvae have a sternal spatula.[2]

Distribution

Recorded from Belgium and Great Britain.[1][3]

References

1. Redfern, Margaret; Shirley, Peter; Boxham, Michael (2011). British Plant Galls (Second ed.). Shrewsbury: Field Study Council. pp. 282–299. ISBN 978-185153-284-1.
2. Harris, K M (2006). "The willow rosette gall, Radophaga rosaria: name correction". Cecidology (21): 34–35.
3. Ellis, W N. "Rabdophaga rosariella (Kieffer, 1897)". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 2 January 2018.

Media related to Rabdophaga rosariella at Wikimedia Commons