Wood nettle gall midge

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

not listed

Minnesota

not listed

Description

Wood nettle gall midge is a common small fly. It occurs in the United States from New Hampshire to North Carolina, west to North Dakota and Arkansas. It occurs in southern Canada from New Brunswick to Manitoba.

Wood nettle gall midge is best identified by the distinctive growths (galls) the larvae produce. The galls appear in June on the upper surface of leaves of Canadian woodnettle (Laportea canadensis). Later in the summer galls also appear on the stems and leaf stalks (petioles).

The gall is egg-shaped or spherical, smooth, 5⁄16″ to ½″ (8 to 12 mm) long, and ⅛″ to 3⁄16″ (4.0 to 5.0 mm) wide. It is translucent and usually light green, sometimes whitish or red. It is attached to the leaf by a narrow stalk (pedicel), and there is a short, nipple-like, extension at the tip.

Size

Similar Species

Habitat

Ecology

Season

Two generations per year: June through September

Behavior

Life Cycle

Mature larvae of the second generation overwinter in the gall.

Larva Food/Hosts

Canadian woodnettle (Laportea canadensis)

Adult Food

Distribution

Sources

7, 30, 82.

Dasineura investita Plakidas, 2016 in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org. Accessed 4/21/2026.