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Mayetiola thujae, the redcedar cone midge, is a species of gall midge that infects western redcedar (Thuja plicata) cones.
| Mayetiola thujae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Cecidomyiidae |
| Genus: | Mayetiola |
| Species: | M. thujae |
| Binomial name | |
| Mayetiola thujae Hedlin, 1959 (Originally Phytophaga thujae) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Phytophaga thujae | |
Males are 2.44 millimetres (0.096 in) long on average. Females are somewhat larger, averaging 2.77 millimetres (0.109 in) in length, and have retractible ovipositors.[1] The adults of both sexes are dark gray.[2]
Eggs are laid on the inner surface of female western redcedar cones in the March or April,[3] shortly after pollination occurs.[4] The eggs are oblong and translucent, but appear to be orange due to the color of the larvae.[4] The eggs hatch in April or May after a month of incubation.[3] The larvae, which grow up to 4 millimetres (0.16 in) long,[2] feed on the seeds and tissue of the cone before beginning to pupate in late summer.[4]
As a control measure, insecticides can be applied to western redcedar cones in the spring.[2] The larvae are often infected by parasitoid wasps of the family Chalcididae.[4]
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