# 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.

- **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.

## About

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.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/1ded1f85-c88c-48be-b5ce-749ebf7d315e
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/244644
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikiola fagi
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/164734086/medium.jpg (Frank Vincentz, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.