花に隠された生物多様性：蕾利用タマバエ類の多様性と生態系機能の解明

在日本，经过数十年的深入研究，迄今为止已发现约600种由瘿蚊（双翅目瘿蚊科）形成的虫瘿，其中包括那些尚未确定的物种。本研究于2022年在102种植物的花和花蕾中调查瘿蚊，在68种寄主植物上首次发现数十种未描述的瘿蚊。除1种幼虫化蛹后脱落地面外，其余3种幼虫均离开寄主植物后脱落地面化蛹。当一个物种的幼虫个体超过10个时，成年阶段被饲养用于物种水平的鉴定。对许多物种进行了拍照，并记录了关于其生活史和与其他生物（如捕食者、寄生虫和相关的互利共生真菌）相互作用的信息。这些数据将有助于基于综合分类学方法的物种描述。根据线粒体COI基因片段的DNA分析结果，表明大部分瘿蚊种为单食性，其余种为多食性或寡食性，共食几种寄主植物。

In Japan, about 600 sorts of galls formed by gall midges (Diptera Cecidomyiidae) are known so far after decades of intensive research, including those unidentified species. In this study, gall midges were investigated in the flowers and flower buds of 102 plants in 2022, and dozens of undescribed species were discovered for the first time on 68 host plants. The larvae of all collected species leave the host plants and drop to the ground for pupation, expect one species of which the pupa drop to the ground. When over ten larval individuals of a single species were available, the adult stage was reared to be used for species-level identification. Many species were photographed and information on the life history and interactions with other organisms (such as predators, parasitoids, and the associated mutualistic fungus) were noted. Such data will facilitate the species description based on the approach of integrative taxonomy. The tribal and generic position of most collected gall midge species was determined, and interestingly, gall midges of various tribes and supertribes were represented.The initial results of DNA analysis (based on a fragment of the mitochondrial gene COI) of the collected species indicate the majority of species are monophagous, while the remaining species are polyphagous or oligophagous sharing several host plants.