Local feeder (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in stems of Verbena

Record Details

Record no.:	0596
Feeding guild:	Local feeder in stem
Taxonomy:	Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Neolasioptera sp.
Stages observed:	trace, larva, pupa, adult
Hosts in Verbena:	V. urticifolia (white vervain)

The stem may swell very little or not at all at the location where a larva dwells within, or in some stems there may be a noticeable swelling. In the interior of the stem, the pith surrounding the larva turns black, apparently as a result of the presence of a symbiotic fungus. I reared an adult in summer 2023. R.J. Gagné examined an individual collected in 2017 and determined that it belonged to the genus Neolasioptera (pers. comm.).

Featured Images

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Image #: 596-03 Gall on stem of side branch of infructescence. (Photo date: April 23, 2023)

Image #: 596-04 Main stem, opened at location of larva dwelling within, showing black fungal discoloration and larva. (Photo date: March 4, 2017)

Image #: 596-05 Larva in fungally discolored area in pith of main stem, white vervain.

Image #: 596-02 Larva in stem. (Photo date: March 4, 2017)

Image #: 596-06 Reared adult. (Photo date: June 20, 2023)

Image #: 596-07 Reared adult, dorsal view of abdomen.

Specimen Data for Images

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Coll. 04/23/23, photo taken same day (03); coll. 03/04/17, photos same day (02, 04-05); coll. 05/28/23, adult em. by 06/19/23, photos of adult on 06/20/23 (06-07). All specimens above from Iowa, USA.

Page created: March 10, 2026. Last update: none