Tephritidae

Aciurina

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus

Arizona

California

Colorado

Idaho

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Mexico

Oregon

Texas

Utah

Washington

Wyoming

British Columbia

Aciurina ferruginea

...the gall of A. ferruginea is subspheroidal and covered by many thin, threadlike leaves, its shape apparently unlike other tephritid galls described to date.

...galls of both species were pictured by Wangberg (1981) from Idaho, so these two tephritids [A. michaeli and ferruginea] probably occur in sympatry throughout the range of C. viscidiflorus. 

By this time, the galls already appeared very leafy and consisted of stunted axillary branches, which continued to produce leaves in fascicles from many tiny axillary buds as the galls grew (Fig. 8D). 

 Its inner surface is shallowly pitted and thinly coated with sap upon which the larvae principally feed, as described for A. thoracica by Headrick and Goeden (1993).




Life Histories and Descriptions of Adults and Immature stages of two Cryptic Species, Aciurina ferruginea (Doane) and A. michaeli, New Species (Diptera: Tephritidae), on Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (Hooker) Nuttall in Southern California

Aciurina ferruginea
Medusa-gall Tephritid

The galls are characterized by numerous long, thin leafy bracts, which appear to develop in fascicles.

Plant Galls of the Western United States