Both wild and cultivated plants are attacked. Usually, the adults feed on the upper surface at the edge of the leaves and on flowers. Host plants include annuals, perennials, shrubs, deciduous trees, and evergreens. Drenching insect pathogenic nematodes around the roots may control larvae. Violet gall midge, Phytophaga violicola .
Adults are small, mosquito-like flies.
Small maggots feed within a pocket formed by the edge of the leaf curling downwards around them. The misshapen leaves are susceptible to rotting, and flowers fail to develop. Pick off and destroy infested leaves. Imidacloprid, which is registered for use against this pest in Connecticut, applied as a soil drench, may be effective. Consult the label for dosage rates and safety precautions.