Integrated Pest Management
Honeylocust Pod Gall Midge
Honeylocust pod gall midge (Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org)
Honeylocust pod gall midge larvae (Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org)
Galls enclosing honeylocust pod gall midge larvae (Utah State University Extension)
Pest Description
- adults: 1/8 inch; tiny flies
- females: black with red abdomen; males: black
- larvae: 15/64 inch and white yellow in color; found inside rolled honeylocust leaves
- eggs: minute, kidney shaped and yellowish red
Host Plants, Diet & Damage
- honeylocust
- larvae feed on honeylocust leaves
- leaflets are curled into pod-shaped galls
- galls; premature leaflet drop; leaflet browning; leaflet and twig dieback
Biology, Life Cycle & Damaging Life Stage
- overwinter as adults around honeylocust trees
- emerge prior to honeylocust budbreak in spring
- females lay one to several eggs on individual leaflets
- larvae can be found inside of curled leaflets
- larvae pupate inside pod gall
- at least three generations per year
- larvae are the damaging stage
IPM Recommendations
- In landscape situations in Utah, management is often not needed.
- Monitor honeylocust buds and new shoot growth for eggs in the spring (late-March to April) with a hand lens.
- Target early eggs and egg-laying adults with insecticides.
- Apply an insecticide (carbamate; horticultural oil; pyrethroid; spinosyn) to leaves when monitoring indicates that eggs are present in early spring.