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Solidago Gallmoth
The man who has loitered by the waysides in the country must often have noticed the manner in which the stems of the common golden-rod are frequently swollen and enlarged about two thirds of their length from the root. This swelling may be caused by the larvae of several insects, but one of the most frequent causes of the abnormal growth is the larva of a little moth to which the above sesquipedalian name has been given. The life-history of the insect was carefully worked out by Professor Riley, and from his interesting paper upon the subject, contained in the "First Missouri Report," the accompanying cut has been taken. It shows a gall as it appears from the outside, and also a section of a gall, revealing the home which the larva constructed for itself in the enlargement of the stem.
The moth is very common in many parts of the country, but particularly in western Pennsylvania.