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Larvae falling from Golden Locust tree #409454

Asked June 24, 2017, 9:06 AM EDT

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can identify what kind of larvae this is. After a rain storm, these larvae covered our deck and table. I think they came from our Golden Locust tree. This picture doesn't pick up their true color; they were actually bright orange. (They looked piles of flower stamens.) They are maybe 1/8" in length and moving around. Thank you for any insight you may have.

Arapahoe County Colorado

Expert Response

This one is a bit of a mystery.

We suspect these are 2nd instar maggots (larvae) of honeylocust podgall midge (Dasineura spp).   They are apparently dropping out of the tree now, attempting to pupate in the soil.

You’ve likely seen plenty of podgalls on your honeylocust, towards the ends of the twigs/branches.

Insecticidal soap or an insecticide containing permethrin would probably control them.  Use according to label directions.

 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 27, 2017, 2:42 PM EDT

PS

By now you've probably seen birds (robins and others) feeding on these maggots.  So it may be best not to spray them with any insecticide' just let the birds enjoy this all-you-can-eat buffet.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 29, 2017, 12:48 PM EDT
Thank you for your reply, Robert! I was wondering if they might Podgalls, but the photos I find online don't look exactly like what we had. Also, the pictures of the Podgall infested trees that I find online aren't very clear. We have little weird looking pods on some of the tree leaves, but when I open them I don't find anything inside. We normally have a lot of birds around and we have a lot of landscaping. I hope the birds can find them as they are quite small and spread out since I swept them off the deck. I left them on the table for a couple of days, but I guess the birds didn't notice. (The only reason we noticed them was because there was a pile of them on the table and deck.) Was thinking about spraying the tree, but I think it would be a major chore as the tree is so big. Hope the tree survives though. Thanks so much for your time and expertise!


The Question Asker Replied June 29, 2017, 5:47 PM EDT

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