A family of small flies known as gall midges, whose larvae create distinctive galls (abnormal growths) on plants.
From Greek kekis (gall) + myia (fly) + the taxonomic suffix -idae. Scientific names follow Linnaean taxonomy, and this Latin-Greek hybrid describes exactly what the insects do—cause galls.
Gall midge larvae are tiny architects that chemically hijack plants' growth systems—they're basically genetic hackers that reprogram plants to build custom nurseries for their kids.
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