Ametrodiplosis
Rübsaamen, 1910
Species Guides
1Ametrodiplosis is a of gall midges in the tribe Clinodiplosini, established by Rübsaamen in 1910. in this genus are distributed primarily across the Holarctic region and exhibit two distinct strategies: some induce galls on plants, while others live as within existing galls. The genus demonstrates broad host associations across multiple seed plant including Apocynaceae and Caryophyllaceae. Molecular phylogenetic analysis has supported the monophyly of Ametrodiplosis despite this ecological diversity.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Ametrodiplosis: /ˌæmɛtroʊdɪˈploʊsɪs/
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Habitat
Associated with vascular plants; specific microhabitats include flowers, aerial roots, and leaf buds depending on .
Distribution
Mostly Holarctic; confirmed records from Japan, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Host Associations
- Tylophora aristolochioides - flower-feeding siteA. adetos
- Trachelospermum asiaticum - gall induction on aerial rootsA. aeroradicis
- Trachelospermum gracilipes var. liukiuense - gall induction on aerial rootsA. aeroradicis
- Stellaria uliginosa var. undulata - gall induction on leaf budsA. stellariae
Behavior
Some induce galls on plants; others are that inhabit existing galls without inducing them.
Ecological Role
Gall-inducer or ; modifies plant tissue development or exploits galls induced by other organisms.
More Details
Molecular phylogenetics
Analysis of mitochondrial COI, ribosomal 16S, and nuclear ribosomal 28S genes supported monophyly of Ametrodiplosis. Intraspecific genetic divergence was very low among individuals from different localities and/or plants.
Taxonomic resources
A taxonomic key to Japanese is available in the 2021 Zootaxa revision.