Galls, Diseases, and Pests - Macrodiplosis Leaf Fold Gall Midge
Macrodiplosis sp.
Macrodiplosis sp.
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These leaf folds are made by midges (small flies). The folds are like little tunnels through the leaves, and the midge larva develops inside the tunnel, feeding on the plant tissue. It was thought that these midges were not found in the western states, but recently there have been a number of observations of the galls in California, on Coast Live Oak leaves. Sometimes the folds follow the veins in the leaf--as in this first photo--and other times the folds are near the edge of the leaf.
