Local feeder (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in stems of Blephilia

Stems inhabited by this local feeder may contort and/or swell slightly at the location where the larva dwells. Within the hollow stem at this location is a small cell that is visible internally as a pill-shaped outgrowth of the pithy inner lining of the stem. The larva lives within this cell, presumably overwintering here based on the finding of larvae in senescent stems in mid-October; adults would thus be expected in spring. R. Gagné examined larvae and determined them to belong to the genus Neolasioptera (pers. comm., autumn 2021). Photos of one larva show it had a rather short spatula, which featured an exceptionally broad anterior end crowned with two short triangular teeth widely separated by about three times their length.