logo       < back   Peabody   next >

Oak Leaf Galls in July housing the Polystepha pilulae midge at Peabody Town Forest in Pelham, NH

Here are Oak Leaf Galls. The midge Polystepha pilulae commits genetic warfare with her injected saliva, causing the oak leaf to provide home and food for her kids (one gall per kid). The adult midge looks like a fly with long legs; the larva (inside the gall) looks like a bright-orange grub.

BIG PHOTO