Placochela nigripes (Löw, 1877)

Fjellberg, Arne & Fedotova, Zoya, 2024, New records of gall midges (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) from Norway, Norwegian Journal of Entomology 71, pp. 8-94 : 31

* Placochela nigripes (Löw, 1877)

( Figure 13 )

Material: RI, Suldal: Nesflaten , 59.650602°N 6.814014°E ± 20m, 25 June 2022, on Sambucus nigra, LMF , leg. HE , coll. NHMO; AK , Oslo: Gressholmen , 59.884711°N 10.722197°E ± 300m, 26 June 2019, on Ligustrum vulgare, LMF , leg. HE, ZF & AK, BOLD : NHMO-ENT-548175, coll. NHMO; Ormøya , 59.875082°N 10.760985°E ± 6m, 18 June 2020, on Sambucus nigra , 1L, leg. HE & TS , coll. NHMO; 59.874716°N 10.759429°E ± 20m, 18 June 2020, on Sambucus nigra , 8L, leg. HE & TS , coll. NHMO.

Biology: The orange larvae develop gregariously in galled flowers of Ligustrum vulgare ( Oleaceae ), Lonicera xylosteum ( Caprifoliaceae ), Sambucus ebulus and S. nigra ( Viburnaceae ). Infected flowers are more or less swollen and do not open. Univoltine; hibernation in the soil. The species is redescribed in Tokuda et al. (2005).

Distribution: Widespread in Europe including Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Georgia.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Placochela nigripes. A. Galled flower of Sambucus nigra. B. Opened gall with larva. C. Male hatched from Ligustrum vulgare. D. Female hatched from Sambucus nigra. Photos: H. Elven.