Contarinia is a genus of midges, small flies in the family Cecidomyiidae. There are over 300 described species in the genus.[1]

Contarinia
Contarinia pseudotsugae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Cecidomyiidae
Tribe: Cecidomyiini
Genus: Contarinia
Rondani, 1860
Type species
Tipula loti
De Geer, 1776
Synonyms
List
  • Eudiplosis Kieffer, 1894
  • Stictodiplosis Kieffer, 1894
  • Contariuia Rübsaamen, 1906
  • Syndiplosis Rübsaamen, 1910
  • Atylodiplosis Rübsaamen, 1910
  • Doxodiplosis Kieffer, 1912
  • Dryodiplosis Kieffer, 1912
  • Navasodiplosis Tavares, 1920
  • Sissudiplosis Mani, 1943
  • Bothriochloamyia Rao & Sharma, 1977
  • Contarinomyia Fedotova, 1991
  • Achillinia Fedotova, 1992

Description edit

As cecidomyiids, adult Contarinia are flies with hairy wings and long antennae. Males have antennal flagellomeres equally binodose, with each node surrounded by one circumfilum. The palpi are four-segmented. The tarsal claws of the legs are simple. The wing costal vein is interrupted after its union with the radius or third vein.[2]

Ecology edit

Many species of Contarinia have herbivorous larvae that attack inflorescences, fruits, or buds of plants.[2] They include a number of crop pests, such as C. nasturtii (attacks various parts of cruciferous plants),[3] C. citri (attacks flowers of citrus),[4] C. pisi (attacks flower buds of legumes),[5] C. caryafloralis (attacks inflorescences of Chinese hickory)[6] and C. pruniflorum (attacks flower buds of stone fruits).[7]

Two species of Contarinia are the main insects to visit inflorescences of Artocarpus integer (and possibly other plants). They are attracted by "a fruit-like, somewhat unpleasant smell" produced by the inflorescences. The adult midges feed on mycelia of Choanephora fungus (thus they are fungivorous, not herbivorous), which infects the male inflorescences, and females also oviposit in male inflorescences. Midge larvae hatch from the eggs, develop while also feeding on the fungus, pupate and then emerge from male inflorescences. Female inflorescences are not infected by the fungus and so cannot be used by the midges to breed, but they still attract Contarinia midges. The midges are known to carry pollen, so they are believed to pollinate A. integer - a pollination mutualism mediated by a pathogenic fungus.[8]

Species edit

The following species are recognised in the genus Contarinia:[9][1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b R.J. Gagne; M. Jaschof (2021). A Catalog of the Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) of the World (5th ed.). ISBN 978-0-9863941-3-3. Wikidata Q109561625.
  2. ^ a b Edde, Peter A. (2022), "Arthropod pests of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)", Field Crop Arthropod Pests of Economic Importance, Elsevier, pp. 74–139, doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818621-3.00009-4, ISBN 978-0-12-818621-3, retrieved 2022-10-11
  3. ^ Stokes, Barbara M. (1953). "The host plant range of the Swede midge (contarinia nasturtii kieffer) with special reference to types of plant damage". Tijdschrift Over Plantenziekten (in German). 59 (3): 82–90. doi:10.1007/BF02106324. ISSN 0028-2944.
  4. ^ Uri Gerson; I. Neubauer (December 1976). "The citrus blossom midge, Contarinia Citri Barnes (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), in Israel". Phytoparasitica. 4: 163–172. doi:10.1007/BF02981083. ISSN 0334-2123. Wikidata Q121211061.
  5. ^ "AgroAtlas - Pests - Contarinia pisi Winnetz - Pea midge". www.agroatlas.ru. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  6. ^ Ke-Long Jiao; Hao Wang; Jun-Hao Huang; et al. (29 June 2018). "A new species of Contarinia (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) damaging inflorescence of Carya cathayensis (Juglandaceae) in China". Zootaxa. 4442 (1): 187–193. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4442.1.12. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 30313992. Wikidata Q57496634.
  7. ^ Kaplan, Mehmet; İnal, Behcet (2021). "Molecular and Morphological Identification of Contarinia pruniflorum Coutin & Rambier (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) Which is a Harmful Pest in Apricot Orchards in Turkey". Erwerbs-Obstbau. 63 (4): 425–429. doi:10.1007/s10341-021-00602-5. ISSN 0014-0309.
  8. ^ Shoko Sakai; Kato M; Nagamasu H (1 March 2000). "Artocarpus (Moraceae)-gall midge pollination mutualism mediated by a male-flower parasitic fungus". American Journal of Botany. 87 (3): 440–445. doi:10.2307/2656640. ISSN 0002-9122. JSTOR 2656640. PMID 10719005. Wikidata Q56094906.
  9. ^ "Contarinia Rondani 1860". Fauna Europaea. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved 2022-06-22.

External links edit