Kylie Kathleen

Photoshop, Pen & Ink This illustration is a peek into the fascinating world of galls. What are galls you ask? They are growths that occur on plants caused by a variety of insects, fungi, parasites, and more! In this case, these galls were caused by an insect called the Coyote brush bud gall midge, Rhopalomyia californica, on a Coyote brush, Baccharis pilularis. This midge species creates a gall that then acts as a nursery for their young, who then emerge from the gall when they hatch. This illustration depicts a branch of the Coyote brush, a close up of the gall, as well as a dissection of a vacated gall where you can see some of the pathways of the midges that have already emerged.