Rosette Gall Midge vs Melon Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rosette Gall Midge Melon Fly
Scientific Name Dasineura urticae Zeugodacus cucurbitae
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Cecidomyiidae Tephritidae
Size 1.5-2.5 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Gall Makers Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Hawaii
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.

Melon Fly

A reddish-yellow fruit fly that is a major pest of melons, cucumbers, and other cucurbits. It has spread from Asia to become invasive across tropical regions.

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Did You Know?

Eradication of the melon fly from Okinawa was one of the most successful sterile insect programs in history.