Abstract
In 2003, many small ellipsoidal or spindle-shaped leaf galls were found on Artemisia princeps (Asteraceae) that had been cultivated as an edible crop plant in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The galls were similar to those induced by Rhopalomyia foliorum (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on Artemisia vulgaris in Europe and those attributed to an unidentified Rhopalomyia species on wild A. montana and A. princeps in Japan. The morphological features and molecular sequencing data indicate that the pest gall midge in Okinawa and the unidentified species are identical to R. foliorum, which is redescribed, with new biological information. The proportion of cultivated Artemisia plants that bore the leaf galls was 55.63–96.46%, a much higher proportion than on wild Artemisia. We consider that R. foliorum has shifted from non-pest to pest status in Artemisia fields under intensive cultivation that includes frequent harvesting of shoots and the application of rich nutrient fertilizer.
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