Mayetiola thujae, the redcedar cone midge, is a species of gall midge that infects western redcedar (Thuja plicata) cones.
| Mayetiola thujae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Cecidomyiidae |
| Genus: | Mayetiola |
| Species: | M. thujae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Mayetiola thujae Hedlin, 1959 (Originally Phytophaga thujae)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Phytophaga thujae | |
Description edit
Males are 2.44 millimetres (0.096 in) long on average. Females are somewhat larger, averaging 2.77 millimetres (0.109 in) in length, and have retractible ovipositors.[1] The adults of both sexes are dark gray.[2]
Ecology edit
Eggs are laid on the inner surface of female western redcedar cones in the March or April,[3] shortly after pollination occurs.[4] The eggs are oblong and translucent, but appear to be orange due to the color of the larvae.[4] The eggs hatch in April or May after a month of incubation.[3] The larvae, which grow up to 4 millimetres (0.16 in) long,[2] feed on the seeds and tissue of the cone before beginning to pupate in late summer.[4]
As a control measure, insecticides can be applied to western redcedar cones in the spring.[2] The larvae are often infected by parasitoid wasps of the family Chalcididae.[4]
References edit
- ^ Hedlin, A. F. (November 1959). "Description and Habits of a New Species of Phytophaga (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) from Western Red Cedar Cones". The Canadian Entomologist. 91 (11). Entomological Society of Canada: 719–723. doi:10.4039/Ent91719-11.
- ^ a b c "Cone and Seed Insect Pest Leaflet no. 1: Redcedar Cone Midge (Mayetiola thujae)" (PDF). forestgeneticsbc.ca. Forest Genetics Council of British Columbia. February 2014 [August 2010] – via British Columbia Ministry of Forests.
- ^ a b Hedlin, A. F. (1980). Cone and seed insects of North American conifers (PDF). Environment Canada, Forest Service. Co-published by the United States Forest Service and Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources. p. 34 – via Pacific Forestry Centre.
- ^ a b c d Hedlin, A. F. (July 1964). "Life History and Habits of a Midge, Phytophaga thujae Hedlin (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in Western Red Cedar Cones". The Canadian Entomologist. 96 (7). Entomological Society of Canada: 950–957. doi:10.4039/Ent96950-7.