Rosette Gall Midge vs Greater Bee Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rosette Gall Midge Greater Bee Fly
Scientific Name Dasineura urticae Bombylius canescens
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Cecidomyiidae Bombyliidae
Size 1.5-2.5 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Farmland Deserts & Drylands
Diet Gall Makers Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia
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.

Greater Bee Fly

A pale greyish bee fly with a long proboscis and clear wings. It parasitizes ground-nesting bees in arid Mediterranean habitats.

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Did You Know?

It can hover motionless in the air for extended periods while probing flowers with its rigid proboscis.