Goldenrod elliptical gall moth

The Goldenrod elliptical gall moth lays it's eggs on the goldenrod in the fall. The eggs hatch out in the spring and then larva finds a new growing goldenrod and burrows into the stem where it develops during the summer unless some other insect, such as an ichneumon wasp, lays its eggs in the moth larva and kills it. In any case, the elliptical gall is usually empty by late summer unless, or until, some other insect crawls in for protection.