leaf miner flies

(Liriomyza spp.)

Overview

Liriomyza is a very large genus of leaf mining flies. It occurs worldwide on every continent except Antarctica. It occurs throughout the United States, where it is most common east of the Great Plains and on the West Coast. It also occurs in every Canadian province. It is common in Minnesota.

There are currently 474 recognized Liriomyza species worldwide, about 70 species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 24 species in Minnesota.

The larvae feed within the tissues of leaves. This protects them from predators and from the plant’s own defenses. As they feed, they create discolored tunnels and sometimes large blotches.

 
leaf miner fly (Liriomyza sp.)
Photo by Alfredo Colon
 

Most species are either host specific, feeding on only one species of plant, or they feed on a group of closely related plants. Some species are polyphagous, feeding on many species of plants. Three polyphagous species, American serpentine leaf miner (Liriomyza trifolii), potato leaf miner (Liriomyza huidobrensis), and vegetable leaf miner (Liriomyza sativae), are considered pests of agricultural crops and ornamental plants.

Description

Liriomyza are small, leaf-mining flies. Adults are 116to (2 to 3 mm) in length. The body is mostly yellow with some black areas.

The third antennal segment (first flagellomere) is yellow, and it does not have a spine at the tip.

The thorax is mostly yellow, but the plate on the first segment of the thorax (pronotum) is black. The plate between the thorax and the abdomen (scutellum) is black with a very large, yellow, cup-shaped spot at the base. The flight balancing organs (halteres) are pale.

The abdomen is yellow with a variable amount of black. The upper side is black above with a thin yellow band on the rear margin of each segment. The underside is yellow. The sides may be yellow or partially or completely black.

On the wings, the C vein extends to the end of the M1+2 vein, and the M1+2 vein ends closer to the wing tip than the R4+5 vein. The Sc vein is incomplete.

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 27, 29, 30, 82, 83.

12/18/2024    
Taxonomy

Order

Diptera (flies)

Suborder

Brachycera

Infraorder

Cyclorrhapha

Zoosection

Schizophora

Zoosubsection

Acalyptratae

Superfamily

Opomyzoidea

Family

Agromyzidae (leaf miner flies)

Subfamily

Phytomyzinae

   

Subordinate Taxa

American serpentine leaf miner (Liriomyza trifolii)

burdock leafminer (Liriomyza arctii)

cabbage leafminer (Liriomyza brassicae)

kaka beak leafminer (Liriomyza clianthi)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza archboldi)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza assimilis)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza avicenniae)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza baptisiae)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza blechi)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza carphephori)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza commelinae)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza cracentis)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza eupatorii)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza euphorbiella)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza fricki)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza galiivora)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza garryae)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza helianthi)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza hypopolymnia)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza ivorcutleri)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza langei)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza lathyri)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza limopsis)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza marginalis)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza mikaniovora)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza nigriscutellata)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza orilliensis)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza philadelphivora)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza phloxiphaga)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza pilicornis)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza pistilla)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza polygalivora)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza ptarmicae)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza sabaziae)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza schmidti)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza septentrionalis)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza smilacinae)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza taraxaci)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza trifoliearum)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza triodanidis)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza valerianivora)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza venegasiae)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza violivora)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza virgo)

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza zinniae)

mahoe leaf leafminer (Liriomyza flavolateralis)

milkweed leaf-miner fly (Liriomyza asclepiadis)

pea leaf miner (Liriomyza huidobrensis)

vegetable leafminer (Liriomyza sativae)

white snakeroot leaf miner (Liriomyza eupatoriella)

   

Synonyms

Agrophila

Antineura

Craspedomyza

Galiomyza

Haplomyza

Lyriomyza

   

Common Names

This genus has no common name. The common name of the family Agromyzidae is leaf miner flies, and it is used here for convenience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Frons

The upper front part of an insect’s face, roughly corresponding to the forehead.

 

Halteres

In flies: a pair of knob-like structures on the thorax representing hind wings that are used for balance.

 

Scutellum

The exoskeletal plate covering the rearward (posterior) part of the middle segment of the thorax in some insects. In Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Homoptera, the dorsal, often triangular plate behind the pronotum and between the bases of the front wings. In Diptera, the exoskeletal plate between the abdomen and the thorax.

 

 

 

 

Visitor Photos
 

Share your photo of this insect.

 

This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption.

Alfredo Colon

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza sp.)
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
   

 

   

 

 

Camera

Slideshows

 

 
 

 

slideshow

Visitor Videos
 

Share your video of this insect.

 

This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.

 

 

 
 
Other Videos

 

 
 

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

Report a sighting of this insect.

 

This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.

Alfredo Colon
6/2/2021

Location: Woodbury, MN

leaf miner fly (Liriomyza sp.)
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

 

 

 

Binoculars

 

Created: 12/18/2024

Last Updated:

© MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved.

About Us

Privacy Policy

Contact Us