“What could these be from?” asks Dustry in her submission regarding two, brown, pod-shaped objects, as well as some pus-like, white substance on some wooden baseboards. She does not give us any more context, which makes this identification difficult, as we do not recognize the organisms purely by their appearance. With that said, our sleuthing tells us that the brown objects could be goldenrod gall fly larvae, or seeds from the rough barnyard grass. The white substance looks to us like it could be a sac of eggs, or perhaps a secretion of some kind. We will say right off the bat that we cannot be sure what the white substance is, but that we doubt it is linked to the brown objects.

Also known as the goldenrod ball gallmaker, the goldenrod gall fly is a rather interesting species of fly. Native to North America, the adult fly is a golden color, and has a stout, furry body that makes it somewhat resemble a moth (similar to the drain fly larva). What is unique about this species of fly is the larvae’s creation of tumor-like growths on goldenrod plants (a genus of plant that blooms yellow flowers in the summer). It starts with the mother fly, who lays its eggs inside the stem of a developing goldenrod. Out of the many eggs that are laid, typically only one larva emerges. That larva will actually live the majority of its life inside the stem. As it feeds on the inside of the stem, it forms galls as it moves down the plant, creating these bulbous, brown shapes somewhat similar to what Dustry photographed. Once the larva has fully matured, it will break free from the stem to find somewhere to pupate. Once it has grown into an adult fly, its sole purpose is to mate and start the process all over again: the adult flies do not eat anything.

Now, we did not think the brown objects Dustry found exactly resembled the galls that the goldenrod gall fly forms, but perhaps it could one that split open. Our other theory is that these could be seed pods from a plant. They somewhat resemble the seeds from rough barnyard grass, a species of grass that typically grows in marshes, on shores, and in other wet habitats. The seed pods that form on this grass are shaped very much like the objects Dustry found, but they are typically a light green color. Our guess is that these could be dried out, as we assume Dustry found them in her home. Alternatively, they could be seed-pods from a different plant. In any case, neither goldenrod gall fly larvae or seed pods are anything to worry about. If these are any of those two things, Dustry likely brought them into the home accidentally, probably on her shoes. If she is not convinced by these suggestions, and wants a second opinion, we recommend taking the organisms to her local county extension office, where someone will be able to physically examine them. Likewise, if she has cleaned up the white, pus-like substance and see that it keeps coming, she might want to contact a professional to determine what it is and how to permanently eliminate it. Maybe it is some type of viscous fungus, which is definitely not our area of expertise.

To conclude, we are not quite sure what it is Dustry found, given that we do not recognize the organisms by appearance alone. Our best educated guess is that the pod-like objects are indeed seed pods, or the galls formed by goldenrod gall fly larvae. Similarly, the white substance might be egg sacs or some kind of secretion. We recommend cleaning it up but avoiding direct contact: who knows what allergic reactions might occur from touching it. We hope this helps, and we wish Dustry the very best!

Summary

Article Name

Pod-shaped Organisms Could be Goldenrod Gall Fly Larva or Plant Seeds

Description

"What could these be from?" asks Dustry in her submission regarding two, brown, pod-shaped objects, as well as some pus-like, white substance on some wooden baseboards. She does not give us any more context, which makes this identification difficult, as we do not recognize the organisms purely by their appearance. With that said, our sleuthing tells us that the brown objects could be goldenrod gall fly larvae, or seeds from the rough barnyard grass. The white substance looks to us like it could be a sac of eggs, or perhaps a secretion of some kind. We will say right off the bat that we cannot be sure what the white substance is, but that we doubt it is linked to the brown objects.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton