Rosette Gall Midge vs Common Gnat

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rosette Gall Midge Common Gnat
Scientific Name Dasineura urticae Culex modestus
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Cecidomyiidae Culicidae
Size 1.5-2.5 mm 4-5 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Gall Makers Blood Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, Central Asia, North Africa
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.

Common Gnat

A small brownish mosquito widespread across Europe and Central Asia that breeds in marshes and rice paddies. It is a competent vector of West Nile virus and is considered the species responsible for several West Nile virus outbreaks in Europe. It feeds readily on both birds and mammals.

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Did You Know?

This species was identified as the key West Nile virus vector in the Camargue wetlands of southern France.