This species is the first cecidomyiid known to feed on Chrysobalanaceae, a chiefly Neotropical family. Several other, undescribed species from the Neotropical Region are represented in the USNM, which indicates to us that the diversity and host range of this genus will not be appreciated until the Neotropical fauna is better studied. The size and shape of the spines may be adaptations for pushing through the several centimeters of soil between the galls on the subterranean branches and the soil surface. These are 3-4 mm in diam and sometimes occur in large aggregates up to 1 cm in diam. Galls with the gallmaker inside are an off-white color.
Old galls are a dark brown and usually have an exit hole.
Fresh galls were present in the summer, fall, and winter months. A single cecidomyiid larva is found inside each gall. Pupation occurs in the gall. When the adult is fully formed inside the pupa, the pupa breaks through the gall and crawls through the soil to the surface. A break in the pupal thorax then develops through which the adult escapes.