Preference-performance-hypothesis
Guides
Rabdophaga
Willow Gall Midges
Rabdophaga is a genus of gall midges in the family Cecidomyiidae comprising approximately 105 species distributed across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. The genus is predominantly associated with willows (Salix spp.), where larvae induce characteristic galls; most species are host-specific to particular willow species or sections. A notable exception is R. giraudiana, which forms stem galls on poplars (Populus spp.), and a 2016 record documents the first Rabdophaga species on a non-Salicaceae host, Symplocos cochinchinensis (Symplocaceae). Species within the genus exhibit varying degrees of host fidelity, with some showing strong preference-performance relationships and others demonstrating broader host ranges across willow sections.