Midge

Damage

The top 5-10 mm of new shoot tips turn black and shrivel. This can result in excessive branching of new growth.

Insect

The adult is a small fly which lays its eggs on new shoot tips. Larvae emerge and can be found clustered inside the tips. They are 1-2 mm in length, clear, white or orange maggots with no legs or markings. Damage occurs from June through September. Larvae feed on new growth by piercing plant tissue, resulting in distortion, blackening, and death of new tips. Midge overwinters as pupae in the soil. There can be up to 4 overlapping generations during the growing season.