The Cecidomyiinae, commonly known as gall midges or gall gnats, is the largest subfamily in Cecidomyiidae with over 600 genera and more than 5000 described species. PDF} Larvae of the other (basal) cecidomyiid subfamilies feed on fungi; whereas this subfamily is best known for its members that induce galls on plants. However, there are also many species of Cecidomyiinae that are fungivores, parasitoids, or predators as maggots.
Herbivorous species make up about 75% of the Cecidomyiinae; many are gall-inducers, infecting a wide diversity of plants. They are found world-wide and are the most ecologically diverse gall-inducing group of organisms. Most develop in one or a few closely related host-plant species. In three tribes (Asphondyliini, Alycaulini and Lasiopterini) the midges are associated with specific fungi; these have been termed 'ambrosia gallers' because the fungi line the inner walls of the galls, in a similar way to those in the galleries of ambrosia beetles. Dorchin, N., Harris, K. M., & Stireman III, J. O. (2019). Phylogeny of the gall midges (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae, Cecidomyiinae): Systematics, evolution of feeding modes and diversification rates. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 140, 106602. DOI Some of the herbivorous species are inquilines, developing in galls that were initiated by a different midge species. Most species in the genus Macrolabis and the tribes Trotteriini and Camptoneuromyiini are inquilines, but there are also many inquiline species in genera that are predominantly gall-inducing (such as Dasineura and Lasioptera).
Predatory and parasitoid species comprise about 12% of the Cecidomyiinae. Larvae of these species attack other arthropods - there are known predators of mites, aphids, scale insects, dragonfly eggs, and endoparasitoids of Hemiptera. Most are found in the tribes Aphidoletini and Lestodiplosini.
Fungivores make up much of the remainder of the subfamily, indicating the retention of (or reversion to) the ancestral food source.
Systematics Cecidomyiinae is monophyletic and species of the subfamily can be distinguished from other Cecidomyiidae by characters of the male genitalia, the number of antennal segments, and bristles on the larval abdomen.
The Cecidomyiinae are divided into five supertribes, which contain the following tribes, and selected genera: Asphondyliidi Tribe Asphondyliini Asphondylia Loew, 1850 Tribe Kiefferiini Kiefferia Mik, 1895 Tribe Polystephini Polystepha Kieffer, 1897 Tribe Schizomyiini Placochela Rübsaamen, 1916 Schizomyia Kieffer, 1889
Brachineuridi tribe Brachineurini Acinacistyla Alatostyla Brachineura Loborrhizomyia tribe Rhizomyiini - monotypic Rhizomyia incertae sedis
Brachyneurina Chrybaneura Cingola Coccidomyia Compositola Effusomyia Epimyia Epimyiella Nodalistyla Stabiliola Undoneura Volsatiola
Cecidomyiidi Tribe Anadiplosini Tribe Aphidoletini Tribe Cecidomyiini
Acacidiplosis Acerovesiculomyia Anisostephus Austroacacidiplosis Caryadiplosis Caryomyia Cecidomyia Cerciplanus Chamaediplosis Contarinia Efferatodiplosis Garugadiplosis Gobidiplosis Halodiplosis Lobopteromyia Macrodiplosis Paradiplosis Parkiamyia Phyllodiplosis Pinyonia Plemeliella Procontarinia Prodiplosis Psephodiplosis Sequoiomyia Sphaerodiplosis Stenodiplosis Taxodiomyia Thecodiplosis Zeuxidiplosis
Tribe Centrodiplosini Centrodiplosis Cystodiplosis Jorgensenia Tribe Clinodiplosini - selected genera Clinodiplosis Schismatodiplosis Rübsaamen, 1916 Tribe Hormomyiini - monotypic Planetella Tribe Karshomyiini Tribe Lestodiplosini Tribe Lopesiini Tribe Mycodiplosini Cecidomyiidi incertae sedis
Acanthacidiplosis Acodiplosis Aculeatodiplosis Afrodiplosis Ampelosucta Anabremia Anasphodiplosis Andirodiplosis Anisodiplosis Antichiridium Apagodiplosis Aplecus Apodiplosis Arrabiadaeamyia Aschistonyx Asphotrophia Astrodiplosis Athidiplosis Atopodiplosis Atrichosema Austrodiplosis Baeodiplosis Bicornidiplosis Blaesodiplosis Blastodiplosis Brachydiplosis Braueriella Brephometra Buhriella Bungomyia Cacoplecus Callitridiplosis Calodiplosis Calyptradiplosis Carinatidiplosis Chaetodiplosis Chrysodiplosis Cleitodiplosis Clusiamyia Coccomyza Coelodiplosis Collula Compsodiplosis Conodiplosis Contodiplosis Cordylodiplosis Ctenodactylomyia Ctenodiplosis Dactylodiplosis Delodiplosis Diadiplosis Dichaetia Dichodiplosis Dicrodiplosis Diodaulus Diplodontomyia Diplosiola Dissimilidiplosis Drisina Echinella Enallodiplosis Eohormomyia Epihormomyia Etsuhoa Eucalyptodiplosis Eumerosema Exiguidiplosis Filidiplosis Flexipidiplosis Frauenfeldiella Geromyia Giardomyia Gigantodiplosis Gladiodiplosis Glenodiplosis Gnesiodiplosis Gongrodiplosis Gynandrobremia Gynodiplosis Haplodiplosis Harmandiola Heliodiplosis Holobremia Holodiplosis Horidiplosis Huradiplosis Hygrodiplosis Hypodiplosis Inulomyia Kamptodiplosis Kimadiplosis Kitella Kronodiplosis Lasiodiplosis Lepidobremia Lepidodiplosis Lianodiplosis Liebeliola Ligulodiplosis Loewiola Lophodiplosis Magadiplosis Mamaevia Manilkaramyia Marikovskidiplosis Massalongia Megaulus Megommata Mesodiplosis Meterdiplosis Microdiplosis Microplecus Mikaniadiplosis Mitodiplosis Moehniella Monarthropalpus Monodiplosis Mycetodiplosis Mycocecis Myricomyia Nanodiplosis Neobaezomyia Octodiplosis Odinadiplosis Oligoxenomyia Olpodiplosis Oribremia Orseolia Orthodiplosis Ouradiplosis Pachydiplosis Perodiplosis Pilodiplosis Pipaldiplosis Pitydiplosis Platydiplosis Plecophorus Plectrodiplosis Plesiodiplosis Plutodiplosis Poridiplosis Proterodiplosis Pruthidiplosis Punarnavomyia Putoniella Quadridiplosis Raodiplosis Resseliella Rotadiplosis Ruidadiplosis Schizodiplosis Setodiplosis Sicituradastra Silvestriola Skusemyia Stenohypodiplosis Stephodiplosis Streptodiplosis Stroblophila Styraxdiplosis Tetradiplosis Thaumadiplosis Thorodiplosis Thurauia Tokiwadiplosis Tollereadastra Tribremia Tricholaba Tricontarinia Trigonodiplosis Trilobomyia Trilobophora Triommata Trissodiplosis Trogodiplosis Ussuridiplosis Vaccinidiplosis Xenasphondylia Xenhormomyia Xenodiplosis Xylodiplosis Youngomyia
Lasiopteridi Tribe Alycaulini - selected genera: Alycaulus Asteromyia Astictoneura Neolasioptera Tribe Brachineurini Brachineura Rondani, 1840 Brachyneurina Mamaev, 1967 Mikiola Kieffer, 1912 Prolauthia Rübsaamen, 1915 Tribe Lasiopterini Baldratia Kieffer, 1897 Hybolasioptera Rübsaamen, 1915 Lasioptera Fischer von Waldheim\nMeigen, 1818 Ozirhincus Rondani, 1840 Stefaniella Kieffer, 1898 Tribe Ledomyiini Ledomyia Kieffer, 1895 Tribe Oligotrophini - selected genera: Craneiobia Kieffer, 1913 Cystiphora Kieffer, 1892 Dasineura Rondani, 1840 Iteomyia Kieffer, 1913 Janetiella Kieffer, 1898 Mayetiola Kieffer, 1896 Oligotrophus Latreille, 1805 Rabdophaga Westwood, 1847 Rhopalomyia Rübsaamen, 1892 Sackenomyia Felt, 1908
Stomatosematidi All genera: Didactylomyia Stomatosema
See also List of Cecidomyiinae genera
References