Willow Beaked-Gall Midge

How to identify it

• Adults are small black flies about 0.2 inch long, and mature larvae are about 0.2 inch long.^[1]
• Infested buds swell and harden into galls with a characteristic beak shape, red and hard by September.^[1]

Where it lives

The PNW Insect Management Handbook covers it on willows in Pacific Northwest landscapes; pussy willow is reportedly a favorite host.^[1]

US map: public records from 24 states since 1990 (GBIF). View the map

Biology and life cycle

It overwinters as a partly grown larva in the gall; adults emerge in spring and lay eggs on swollen willow buds.^[1]

Each larva tunnels into a bud and develops in a hollow cavity inside the gall; there's one generation a year.^[1]

Damage and signs

• Infestations rarely injure a tree seriously, but years of heavy galling can make it look as if it had been pruned too hard.^[1]

Health risk

It feeds on plants; the PNW Insect Management Handbook mentions no risk to people.^[1]

Control

Traps and physical control

Prune out galls as you notice them; if you prune in fall or winter, crush or bury them, since adults can still emerge from galls left on the ground.^[1]

Common questions

What are the red, pointed swellings on my willow's twig tips?

Likely willow beaked-gall midge galls, which harden and turn red by September.^[1]

Do I need to do anything about willow beaked galls?

Usually not; they rarely injure trees seriously, but you can prune out and destroy the galls.^[1]

Sources

1. Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks (OSU, WSU, University of Idaho), “Willow (Salix): Willow beaked-gall midge (Insect Management Handbook).” pnwhandbooks.org/insect/hort/landscape/hosts-pests-landscape-plants/willow-salix-willow-beaked-gall-midge (accessed 2026-10-06)
2. iNaturalist, “Rabdophaga rigidae taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/83455 (accessed 2026-10-06)