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 Tephritoidea (?) under Cypress
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| MMignini |
Posted on 11-04-2021 16:29
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Member Location: Posts: 10 Joined: 07.04.20 |
Hello, I want to ask for your expertize on something I have never seen before. I have photos coming from two different locations (Sardinia and Tuscany, Italy) showing an interesting phenomenon: very large pullulations of tiny yellow larvae crawling on the ground. The larvae are able to perform small jumps. Interestingly, in both sites this pullulations occurred under Cupressus trees. The ground was covered with Cupressus male flowers. I suspect that these are some Tephritoidea larvae, but I never came across something like that before. Any ideas? Are there particular species linked with Cupressus trees? 1st photo (Sardinia): Edited by MMignini on 11-04-2021 22:45 |
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| MMignini |
Posted on 11-04-2021 16:33
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Member Location: Posts: 10 Joined: 07.04.20 |
2nd photo (Sardinia): |
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| MMignini |
Posted on 11-04-2021 16:34
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Member Location: Posts: 10 Joined: 07.04.20 |
3rd photo (Sardinia): |
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| MMignini |
Posted on 11-04-2021 16:34
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Member Location: Posts: 10 Joined: 07.04.20 |
4th photo (Tuscany): |
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| MMignini |
Posted on 11-04-2021 16:36
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Member Location: Posts: 10 Joined: 07.04.20 |
5th photo (Tuscany)
Edited by MMignini on 11-04-2021 16:45 |
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| MMignini |
Posted on 11-04-2021 16:46
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Member Location: Posts: 10 Joined: 07.04.20 |
6th photo (Tuscany) |
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| MMignini |
Posted on 11-04-2021 17:32
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Member Location: Posts: 10 Joined: 07.04.20 |
!UPDATE! Somebody just sent me new photos from a THIRD locality, also from Tuscany. Also in this case the larvae are under Cypress trees... Edited by MMignini on 11-04-2021 18:24 |
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| Jan Maca |
Posted on 12-04-2021 08:57
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Member Location: Posts: 1113 Joined: 25.03.10 |
Sciaridae are notorious for gregarious larvae. From the pictures it cannot be stated whether the larvae have nematoceran head capsule or not |
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| MMignini |
Posted on 12-04-2021 10:53
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Member Location: Posts: 10 Joined: 07.04.20 |
Jan Maca wrote: Sciaridae are notorious for gregarious larvae. From the pictures it cannot be stated whether the larvae have nematoceran head capsule or not Thank you for your feedback! I am suspecting these are some Tephritoidea. In the meantime I have been reading more and more reports of the same phenomenon appearing in other towns of Tuscany, always on bare ground and always under Cypresses. A person sent me a close-up picture. I hope it is clear enough. I add it here below. Ulidiidae maybe? |
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| Paul Beuk |
Posted on 13-04-2021 13:21
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 Super Administrator Location: Posts: 19208 Joined: 11.05.04 |
Could these be gallmidge larvae, ready to pupate?
Paul - - - - Paul Beuk on https://diptera.info |
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| MMignini |
Posted on 21-03-2023 22:39
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Member Location: Posts: 10 Joined: 07.04.20 |
Hello, I'll resurrect this thread since, again, some regions of Italy are seeing an explosion of the above larvae, always under Cypress trees. With some news. I discovered that these larvae are able to JUMP, like miniature springs! I will try to post a video. They are also always associated with the falling of the male cones of the Cypress, especially after strong wind, as it is visible in some of the previous photos. Here I attach a better close-up of the larvae. Thank you again for any idea! Edited by MMignini on 21-03-2023 22:55 |
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| John Carr |
Posted on 22-03-2023 01:07
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 Member Location: Posts: 9773 Joined: 22.10.10 |
Falling from trees in such large quantities I think they have to be Cecidomyiidae if they are Diptera. There are several species recorded from Cupressus in North America. In Europe, only from Juniperus in Cupressaceae. |
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| MMignini |
Posted on 22-03-2023 11:18
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Member Location: Posts: 10 Joined: 07.04.20 |
@Paul Beuk and @John Carr, thank you for suggesting they could be gall midges. It might indeed be the right path. It is all quite puzzling, since no one, to my knowledge, has ever seen these phenomenon in the past, until last year. This makes me think it could be some recently introduced species. I am absolutely not an expert here. Tried to find similar cases online and have searched into some European entomological forums, without success. I have read on https://bladminee...domyiidae/ that larvae of Contarinia sp. are able to jump. They also pupate on the ground. Maybe this could be a good start. I should look for Contarinia species developing on Cupressaceae. But it's such a large genus... Edited by MMignini on 22-03-2023 11:19 |
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| atylotus |
Posted on 29-03-2023 07:45
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 Member Location: Posts: 1112 Joined: 29.05.09 |
For what it is worth..Cecidomyiidae is correct |
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but don't see the image in the post.
