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Glite Dictionary
gall midge

gall midge

1 9.9
A small delicate fly whose young make small round bumps on plants
  • noun
  • /ɡɔl mɪdʒ/
  • Specialized
: mosca de la agalla
  • After examining the plant, she discovered a gall midge had caused the unusual swelling on the stems.

Examples

  • The Aphthona beetles will soon be joined by a gall midge, Spurgia capitigena.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The agricultural report highlighted the damage caused by gall midges to fruit crops, leading to reduced yields.

  • The gardener noticed that the rosebush was affected by a gall midge, resulting in strange growths on the leaves.

Synonyms

gallfly
vsgall midge
  • Specialized
1 9.9

An insect that lays eggs in plants and causes swellings called galls where young insects grow

is narrower meaning a small delicate fly whose larvae specifically make galls
gall gnat
vsgall midge
  • Specialized
9.9

A small fly that makes bumps on plant leaves or stems

is the same but stresses a tiny delicate fly whose larvae form the galls

Surface Forms

gall midge singular
gall midges plural

Morphology

gall + midge

The compound is directly built from 'gall' (a localized abnormal plant growth) + 'midge' (a small fly), so its meaning — a small fly associated with or causing galls — follows straightforward noun–noun composition. This is a transparent, descriptive formation that a B1 learner who knows both constituent words can readily infer.

Etymology

The name gall midge comes from a tiny fly, the midge, whose young live inside the plant and eat there, making lumps called galls. So gall midge means 'a small fly whose young cause galls on plants'.