Galls on Willow

Willow Pinecone Galls, with their faux seed scales, bear a striking resemblance to pine cones, particularly when the galls darken during the winter. The galls are induced by the so-called Willow Pinecone Gall Midge, Rabdophaga strobiloides (family Cecidomyiidae), to house, nourish, and protect a single fly larva (maggot) located deep within the gall.