Contarinia a-syriaca-swollen-flower-gall
The inducer of this gall is unknown or undescribed.
Family: Cecidomyiidae | Genus: Contarinia
Hosts: Asclepias syriaca / Asclepias tuberosa
Detachable: detachable
Color: brown, pink, white, purple
Texture: hairy
Abundance:
Shape: globular
Season: Summer
Related:
Alignment:
Walls: thin
Location: bud, flower
Form: hidden cell
Cells: monothalamous
Possible Range:i
Common Name(s):
Synonymy: 
Image by Yann Kemper © Public Domain / CC0
Our ID Notes may contain important tips necessary for distinguishing this gall from similar galls and/or important information about the taxonomic status of this gall inducer.
Gallformers ID Notes
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The flowers are clearly swollen, often moreso than ungalled buds, and they stand out amongst the rest of the flowers on the umbel. Galls contain several orange to cream-colored larva. The petals are often browned or otherwise visibly damaged. It is not known whether the pale and orange larva represent different or the same species. Likely found on other Asclepias species. This species has also been observed on Asclepias tuberosa, however it is not clear whether or not the tuberosa galls are the same species as the syriaca galls. Observed in Ohio, Massachusetts and Virginia in June.
In July, Ray Gagne identified the galls as being formed by an unknown member of the genus Contarinia.
- Gallformers Contributors: (2024) Gallformers ID Notes©
Further Information:
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Unless noted otherwise in the ID Notes, observations of this gall are collected in the Observation Field Gallformers Code with value a-syriaca-swollen-flower-gall on iNaturalist. You can view them here:
