Cecidomyiidi

gall midges, gall gnats

Genus Guides

Cecidomyiidi is a supertribe of small flies within the Cecidomyiinae. Members are commonly known as gall midges or gall gnats. While many induce plant galls, others exhibit diverse ecological roles including , , , and specialized mutualisms with plants. The supertribe includes species with unusual reproductive strategies such as site pollination, where larvae develop within floral structures.

Damaeus by (c) Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas. Used under a CC-BY license.

Epidermoptidae by (c) Cricket Raspet, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Cricket Raspet. Used under a CC-BY license.

Psoroptidae by (c) Oleksii Vasyliuk, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Oleksii Vasyliuk. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Cecidomyiidi: //sɛˌsɪdoʊmaɪˈaɪəˌdaɪ//

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Images

Ecological Role

Members of this supertribe occupy diverse ecological roles. Some induce galls on plants. Others function as fungivores, , or as larvae. A documented mutualism involves site pollination of Aspidistra xuansonensis, where female flies pollinate flowers while their larvae consume pollen in anthers.

More Details

Taxonomic note

GBIF lists Cecidomyiidi with doubtful status as a , while NCBI and other sources recognize it as a supertribe within Cecidomyiinae. The supertribe designation is preferred based on current usage.

Observational data

iNaturalist records approximately 96,487 observations for this , indicating substantial public documentation though many may lack -level identification.