Vitisiella brevicauda

Vitisiella brevicauda (Felt), new combination

[Cecidomyia] vitis tomatos Riley 1873. Invalid, a polynomial.
Janetiella brevicauda

This species is responsible for bright red, globular leaf and tendril galls of grapes in eastern North America (Gagne 1989) and probably beyond. Larvae collected in New Mexico agree with the description and are tentatively included under this species. 

Range: MO, FL, MD, NM, NY, NC

One other described Nearctic cecidomyiid that forms galls on grape also has conspicuous sclerites on the female ninth segment but does not belong to Janetiella. This is Dasineura vitis Felt (1908: 341), a species that was originally and subsequently reared from leaf swellings purportedly similar to those made by V. brevicauda. Specimens of D. vitis in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History (USNM) have been reared from blister leaf galls on grape as well, so this species may prove to be an inquiline. Dasineura vitis has toothed tarsal claws and also a broken costa at its juncture with R5. The general similarity between its ovipositor and that of Vitisiella is likely convergent, a case of different genera on a similar host sharing a similar striking character.

Taxonomy of Janetiella thymi (Kieffer) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and of the species formerly in Janetiella that feed on Vitis (Vitaceae).