ABSTRACT
The biology of the gall midges is in the first place the biology of their larvae. Compared with the life-span of the adults, which is measured in days only, the duration of the larval development is overwhelming, even in multivoltine species. The currently available knowledge of the biology of the gall midges leads people to consider soil as the primary food of their larvae. The classification of gall midges and the mode of feeding of their larvae are clearly related. The subdivision of the family of the gall midges into subfamilies and tribes has not yet been definitively settled. All larvae belonging to the subfamily Lestremiinae and to the tribe Porricondylini of the subfamily Cecidomyiinae are mycetophagous and can be found in soil, litter, rotting wood etc. Among the gall midges that occur in connection with the destruction of wood, the group connected with phosphorescent destruction is especially diversified and rich in species.
