Gall-inducing insect Gall-inducing insect A gall-inducing insect is any insect that can cause the growth of galls within plants. The term gall fly is also used to cover these species, although most are not true flies. There are several groups of insects that meet this description. They include the gall wasps, scales, gall midges, aphids, psyllids and certain species of leafminer flies. Galls are growth deformities induced in certain plants by various insects which are mostly species-specific. The gall's form or type depends on what organism is attacking the plant and where the plant is being attacked. Based on the form, there
Thanasimus formicarius "Picea" for oviposition. Some experiments suggested that bark thickness could be a critical factor limiting pupation of "T. formicarius" on spruce. Possible mimicry: The shape of the body and coloration of ant beetles resemble those of velvet ants from the genera "Mutilla" that can be seen on the same places with ant beetles. Velvet ants are famous for their painful stinging. Thanasimus formicarius The ant beetle ("Thanasimus formicarius"), also known as the European red-bellied clerid, is a medium size insect, rather soft-bodied, with strong mandibles that can tear between the hard sclerotized integument of bark beetles. Larvae and adults are