ANNOUNCEMENT, Identification
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ANNOUNCEMENT
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Description
Dear Entomology community
I’m currently working in Vietnam on Hitpage plants and have collected an insect that I could only identify to the family/order.
I’m seeking help to determine the genus or species.
I’ve attached photos and collection data. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.
Short describing:
The flower-boring midge Cecidomyiidae sp.
The larva is small, legless, and spindle-shaped with a tapered head. Its body color ranges from opaque white to pale yellow, turning pink or darker as it approaches pupation. The mouthparts are very small, hook-like or stylet-like. The pupa is exarate and light yellow-brown in color. Developing structures such as large compound eyes, legs, and immature wings are clearly visible, tightly appressed to the body, and dark in color. Adults are approximately 3 mm in length, with a body color ranging from pale yellow to golden brown. They have large compound eyes. In females, the antennae are plumose—a characteristic trait of many Cecidomyiidae species—while in males, the antennae are distinctly segmented, long, and more complex.
The larvae were primarily found inside unopened flower buds of H. aptera. Typical symptoms included softened floral tissues; in some cases, the buds were completely hollowed out, leaving only the outer petals intact.
Preliminary observations recorded larval densities exceeding 200 individuals per flower cluster. Two consecutive flowering seasons monitored at the same population site (2024 and 2025) revealed a high flowering rate but low fruit set, suggesting that this species may be one of the contributing factors to reduced fruiting success. However, further monitoring and data collection are needed to confirm this relationship.
Thank you very much for spending time to read and check!
Best regards,
Xuan Mai
I’m currently working in Vietnam on Hitpage plants and have collected an insect that I could only identify to the family/order.
I’m seeking help to determine the genus or species.
I’ve attached photos and collection data. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.
Short describing:
The flower-boring midge Cecidomyiidae sp.
The larva is small, legless, and spindle-shaped with a tapered head. Its body color ranges from opaque white to pale yellow, turning pink or darker as it approaches pupation. The mouthparts are very small, hook-like or stylet-like. The pupa is exarate and light yellow-brown in color. Developing structures such as large compound eyes, legs, and immature wings are clearly visible, tightly appressed to the body, and dark in color. Adults are approximately 3 mm in length, with a body color ranging from pale yellow to golden brown. They have large compound eyes. In females, the antennae are plumose—a characteristic trait of many Cecidomyiidae species—while in males, the antennae are distinctly segmented, long, and more complex.
The larvae were primarily found inside unopened flower buds of H. aptera. Typical symptoms included softened floral tissues; in some cases, the buds were completely hollowed out, leaving only the outer petals intact.
Preliminary observations recorded larval densities exceeding 200 individuals per flower cluster. Two consecutive flowering seasons monitored at the same population site (2024 and 2025) revealed a high flowering rate but low fruit set, suggesting that this species may be one of the contributing factors to reduced fruiting success. However, further monitoring and data collection are needed to confirm this relationship.
Thank you very much for spending time to read and check!
Best regards,
Xuan Mai
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