Orange wheat blossom midge

Of the two species the orange wheat blossom midge is the predominant pest of wheat crops in the UK. Adult flies are orange in colour, 2 - 3 mm long and are very weak fliers. The larvae are also orange, small and easily identifiable. As the name suggests the yellow wheat blossom midge is yellow as both an adult and a larva. These larvae can be found feeding in the ears of the crop for several weeks after flowering.
The Orange wheat blossom midge larvae invade the floret and feed individually on the developing grain which adversely affects both yield and quality which can be especially damaging for quality wheats. The larvae of the yellow wheat blossom midge, which emerge earlier than orange wheat blossom midge, tend to feed in numbers on the anthers and stamens leading to blind grain sites, but once pollination has occurred the grain develops normally.