Rosette Gall Midge vs Red-footed Robber Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rosette Gall Midge Red-footed Robber Fly
Scientific Name Dasineura urticae Dioctria rufipes
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Cecidomyiidae Asilidae
Size 1.5-2.5 mm 9-13 mm
Habitat Farmland Woodlands
Diet Gall Makers Herbivores
Regions Europe Europe, 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.

Red-footed Robber Fly

A slender, metallic-dark robber fly with conspicuous orange-red legs found in European woodlands. It specializes in ambushing small flies and midges from sunlit perches on leaves.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the earliest robber flies to appear each year, often active from late spring when most other asilids are still developing.