Rosette Gall Midge vs Australian Hoverfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rosette Gall Midge Australian Hoverfly
Scientific Name Dasineura urticae Simosyrphus grandicornis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Cecidomyiidae Syrphidae
Size 1.5-2.5 mm 8-11 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Gall Makers Predators
Regions Europe Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Rosette Gall Midge

A tiny midge that causes distinctive rosette galls on the tips of stinging nettles. The growing tip is stunted and swollen. Very common wherever nettles grow.

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Did You Know?

The distinctive bunched rosette galls on nettle tips are so common that most people have seen them without knowing the cause.

Australian Hoverfly

A common Australian hoverfly with orange-yellow markings on a dark abdomen. It is an important pollinator and aphid predator in Australian agriculture.

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Did You Know?

It is the most commonly encountered hoverfly species across mainland Australia.