Asphondylia menthae
Taxonomy
This page represents the following TreeOfLife-200M taxonomic path.[1]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Diptera
- Family: Cecidomyiidae
- Genus: Asphondylia
- Species: Asphondylia menthae
Biology and Ecology
Asphondylia menthae is a species of gall midge (family Cecidomyiidae) described by Kieffer in 1902.[2] Recent research has identified this species in the Caucasus region, specifically Dagestan, extending its known distribution.[3]
As a phytophagous gall midge, it is associated with specific host plants. It has been documented interacting with Mentha suaveolens (apple mint).[4] Additionally, Asphondylia menthae serves as a host for the parasitoid wasp Torymus thymi.[4]
Visual Description
Based on observations from the TreeOfLife-200M dataset, Asphondylia menthae exhibits the characteristic delicate, slender body form typical of many cecidomyiids.[1] The adults possess long, thin legs and elongated antennae, which are diagnostic features of the family.[1]
Gallery
References
- 1 2 3 Dataset view for Animalia / Arthropoda / Insecta / Diptera / Cecidomyiidae / Asphondylia / menthae constructed from imageomics/TreeOfLife-200M records under this taxonomic path. Hugging Face Datasets. https://huggingface.co/datasets/imageomics/TreeOfLife-200M.
- ↑ Asphondylia menthae Kieffer, 1902. GBIF. https://www.gbif.org/species/1592820. Accessed 2026-07-14.
- ↑ Z. A. Fedotova; Г. М. Нахибашева; Г. М. Мухтарова; А. Г. Гасангаджиева. Phytophagous gall midges (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) of Dagestan: fauna, biology and distribution. South of Russia ecology development. 2022. https://doi.org/10.18470/1992-1098-2022-3-35-53.
- 1 2 Asphondylia menthae. Global Biotic Interactions. https://www.globalbioticinteractions.org/?targetTaxon=Asphondylia%20menthae. Accessed 2026-07-14.