Globular-gall
Guides
Asphondylia helianthiglobulus
Sunflower Purse Gall Midge
Asphondylia helianthiglobulus is a gall midge species in the family Cecidomyiidae. Its larvae induce distinctive globular stem galls on several sunflower species in eastern North America. The specific epithet "helianthiglobulus" references both its host genus Helianthus and the rounded shape of the galls it produces. This species exemplifies the intimate plant-insect relationships characteristic of gall midges, where larval development occurs entirely within plant tissue.