Aquilegia Gall Midge
Macrolabis aquilegiae
Aquilegia Gall Midge
An Aquilegia Gall Midge is a tiny fly, measuring only 3mm. It's the larvae which cause most of the problems. A female fly will lay her eggs on the undeveloped buds of Aquilegia. Upon hatching, the larvae begin to eat inside the bud and this causes new growth to become malformed, creating plant galls.
Galls prevent the flowers from opening properly, so this is a good indication your plants might be infested by this midge.
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Traits
Can prevent the flowers of harm Aquilegia from opening.
Midges are play an important role in the food chain.
Appearance
Adults: They're tiny flies, but they're very difficult to spot and identify with the naked eye.
Larvae: White-orange maggots reaching 2-3mm in length. It's sometimes possible to see them by opening up the flower buds.
Symptoms
Swollen flowers, that may appear distorted is characteristic of Aquilegia gall midge infestations.
Pale orange maggots can sometimes be seen in deformed buds.
Activity
Diurnal
Personality
Order
Diptera
Family
Cecidomyiidae
Metamorphosis
Complete
Distribution
The UK and Europe
Biological treatment
Due to their recent arrival, there is still no effective treatment available in UK markets.
It is advised to remove and destroy any infested flower buds.
This insect is only really a problem until the end of June.
Attracts
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