New ficus pest discovered in Florida

A new gall midge was identified earlier this year attacking Ficus microcarpa in Naples, Fla. Horidiplosis ficifolii Harris was found on a bonsai F. microcarpa in a nursery and on F. microcarpa trees in the landscape.

This species of gall midge was reported once in 2003 by inspectors in the Netherlands and Denmark. It was found on F. benjamina from Taiwan, Japan and China. The pest has not been observed on F. benjamina in Florida, even where it grows under infested F. microcarpa trees.

“We cannot rule out the possibility the Florida gall midges represent a different, undescribed and cryptic species of Horidiplosis,” said Gary Steck, taxonomic entomologist at Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Nothing has been published on the biology or economic importance of this species, he said.

Gall midges apparently attack the young leaves which may become discolored, pocked with brown, blisterlike lesions and severely disfigured. Heavily infested leaves may drop from the plant. The gall midge larvae feed inside the blisters, and only one larva has been found in each blister. They are 2 mm or less, white in their early stages and become bright orange as they mature.

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For more: Gary J. Steck, Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, (352) 372-3505; steckg@doacs.state.fl.us.

June 2008