Beech Gall Midge
Mikiola fagi
Before the host leaves fall in autumn, the woody gall forms an abscission layer at its base and drops to the forest floor with the larva sealed safely inside.
- Scientific name
- Mikiola fagi
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Diptera › Cecidomyiidae › Mikiola
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous temperate woodlands dominated by European beech (Fagus sylvatica).
- Diet
- Larvae feed on internal gall tissue and sap of European beech; adults do not feed.
- Range
- Europe, Western Asia
- Size
- Adult body length 3–5 mm; galls 8–12 mm tall
- Lifespan
- Approximately 1 year, with adults surviving only a few days
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Loss of mature beech woodlands, severe summer drought affecting host foliage, and late spring freezes.
- Safe to approach?
- Beech gall midges and their galls are harmless to humans. They do not bite, sting, or carry allergens. No precautions are needed when observing galls on beech foliage.
Mikiola fagi , the beech gall midge is a gall-causing fly in the family Cecidomyiidae. This species was first described by Theodor Hartig in 1839.
Photo: Frank Vincentz, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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