Insect and Spider Identification: Larva infestation in Pink Moon Vine blossoms., 1 by mistyblue22

mistyblue22 wrote:
The larva is approx. 3/8" long and so is the crysalis of the morphed adult. It is some sort of Blossom Midge. I cut off several buds that were carrying larva and put them into a jar so that I could see the adult when it emerged. It is some kind of a Midge. It looks like a large mosquito. I have sent photos to the County Entemologist and they are going to get back to me after reviewing my photos. I need to know how to prevent them from getting into the buds in the first place. From what I have learned in my own researching of blossom midges, the female layes an egg on the exterior of the immature bud and it then hatches and a minute maggot then works it's way into the bud to the heart of it where it stays and feeds on the tender developing blossom until it reaches the age of metamorphosis where it drills through the bud and forms it's crysalis, then morphs into the adult and flies away. The weird thing is that my Pink Moon vines are right next to the White Moon vines and my Morning Glories and they weren't in any of those, just the Pink Moon vine. I am also sending 2 more images of the crysalis and the emerged adult.