Agromyzidae
Guides
Agromyza
A genus of small flies in the family Agromyzidae. Adults are distinguished by stridulatory files on the first two abdominal tergites and halteres that are usually white or yellow. The genus is best known for its leaf-mining larvae, which feed internally on plant leaf tissue. Some species are minor agricultural pests of crops including corn and rice.
Agromyza alnibetulae
Agromyza alnibetulae is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species is associated with alder (Alnus) and birch (Betula) host plants, as indicated by its specific epithet. Larvae create serpentine or blotch mines in leaves. Adults are small, typically 2-3 mm in length, with the reduced wing venation characteristic of the genus.
Agromyza alnivora
alder leafminer fly
Agromyza alnivora is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1969. The species is associated with alder (Alnus) as its host plant, as indicated by its specific epithet. Like other members of the genus, the larvae create serpentine or blotch mines within leaf tissue. The species is documented from North America.
Agromyza ambrosivora
Agromyza ambrosivora is a leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1969. The specific epithet "ambrosivora" suggests a potential association with Ambrosia (ragweed) or related plants, though this host relationship has not been definitively confirmed in published literature. The species is documented in entomological collections and databases, with 51 observations recorded on iNaturalist.
Agromyza aprilina
Agromyza aprilina is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Malloch in 1915. As a member of this family, it is presumed to produce larvae that feed internally within leaf tissue, creating distinctive mines. The species is accepted in current taxonomy but specific biological details remain poorly documented in available literature.
Agromyza deserta
Agromyza deserta is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, first described by Patton in 1897 under the basionym Cecidomyiaceltis deserta. The species belongs to the genus Agromyza, which contains numerous economically important leaf miners. As with other members of this family, the larvae are internal feeders that create distinctive mines within host plant leaves.
Agromyza diversa
Agromyza diversa is a species of leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Johnson in 1922. It belongs to a large genus of small flies whose larvae feed internally within plant leaves, creating distinctive serpentine or blotchy mines. The species has been recorded from the northeastern United States, particularly Vermont.
Agromyza indistincta
Agromyza indistincta is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described in 2019 by Eiseman, Lonsdale, and Feldman. The specific epithet "indistincta" refers to the difficulty in distinguishing this species from related taxa based on external morphology alone. As a member of the large genus Agromyza, it belongs to a group of flies whose larvae create distinctive feeding trails (mines) within leaf tissue. The species is known from very few records.
Agromyza isolata
Agromyza isolata is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, first described by Malloch in 1913. The species belongs to a large genus of small flies whose larvae feed internally within plant leaf tissue, creating distinctive serpentine or blotch mines. As with most Agromyzidae, adults are minute to small in size. Specific host plant associations and detailed biology remain poorly documented.
Agromyza parca
Agromyza parca is a small leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1986. Members of this genus are known for creating distinctive serpentine or blotch mines in living leaf tissue of host plants. The species is poorly documented in public sources, with minimal observational records available.
Agromyza parvicornis
Corn Blotch Leafminer
A leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, primarily associated with corn (Zea mays) cultivation. The species creates distinctive blotch-shaped mines in host plant foliage. It is considered a minor and sporadic agricultural pest with limited economic impact. Documented from North American corn-growing regions and more recently recorded in Mexico.
Agromyza pudica
Agromyza pudica is a species of leaf-miner fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1986. As with other members of this large family, the larvae feed internally within plant leaves, creating distinctive mines. The species is poorly documented in the literature, with limited information available regarding its biology, host associations, or geographic distribution.
Agromyza sulfuriceps
Agromyza sulfuriceps is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species is known to create mines in leaves of Potentilla plants. It was described by Strobl in 1898 and is recorded from Scandinavia.
Agromyza vockerothi
Agromyza vockerothi is a leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species is known from North America, with confirmed records from Vermont and the United States. Larvae feed on brambles (Rubus).
Agromyzinae
mining flies, leaf-miner flies
Agromyzinae is a subfamily of small flies within the family Agromyzidae, commonly known as mining flies or leaf-miner flies. The subfamily was established by Fallén in 1823 and contains multiple genera including Agromyza, Japanagromyza, Melanagromyza, Ophiomyia, and Epidermomyia. Species in this subfamily are best known for their larval habit of feeding within plant tissues, creating distinctive mines in leaves, stems, or other plant parts. The subfamily has a global distribution with documented diversity in Europe, Asia, and other regions, with over 100 species confirmed from Ukraine alone and 13 species recorded from southern India.
Amauromyza
Amauromyza is a genus of leaf-miner and stem-borer flies in the family Agromyzidae, comprising over 60 described species. Most species are phytophagous, with larvae feeding internally in plant tissues. The genus includes significant agricultural pests such as Amauromyza karli, which has recently emerged as a major constraint to quinoa production in the western United States. Species exhibit variation in feeding ecology, with some mining leaves and others boring stems.
Amauromyza flavifrons
A leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, Amauromyza flavifrons is notable for documented cases of rapid evolutionary change in host plant selection. Populations have been observed to evolve avoidance behavior toward novel hosts, specifically sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), when local exposure creates fitness costs. This makes the species a studied example of contemporary evolution in plant-insect interactions.
Aulagromyza
Aulagromyza is a genus of leaf-miner flies in the family Agromyzidae, comprising approximately 50 described species distributed across the Holarctic region. Species in this genus are primarily phytophagous, with larvae that feed internally within leaf parenchyma, creating distinctive blotch or serpentine mines. Several species are monophagous or oligophagous, showing strong host associations with particular plant genera including Fraxinus (ash), Lonicera (honeysuckle), and Populus (poplar). The genus is of ecological interest due to its role in leaf herbivory and its interactions with parasitoid wasps.
Aulagromyza cornigera
Aulagromyza cornigera is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. Its larvae create distinctive linear mines on leaves of honeysuckle family plants, particularly Lonicera and Symphoricarpos. The species is univoltine, with larval activity occurring from late March through early June. It has a transatlantic distribution, occurring across Europe and in North America.
Aulagromyza orbitalis
Aulagromyza orbitalis is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, first described by Melander in 1913. It belongs to a genus of small flies whose larvae create distinctive feeding patterns within leaf tissue. The species has been documented in the northeastern United States, particularly Vermont. As with other Aulagromyza species, the adults are typically small and inconspicuous, while the larval stage is the most economically and ecologically significant due to leaf-mining damage.
Calycomyza
Calycomyza is a genus of leaf-mining flies in the family Agromyzidae, containing approximately 90 described species. Larvae feed internally within leaf tissue, creating distinctive serpentine or blotch mines. The genus has a broad geographic distribution spanning the Nearctic, Neotropical, Palearctic, Oriental, and Afrotropical regions. Several species have been documented as agricultural pests or biological control agents for invasive plants.
Calycomyza ambrosiae
Calycomyza ambrosiae is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. The larvae create distinctive feeding tunnels within leaves of host plants in the Asteraceae family. The species name refers to its association with Ambrosia and related genera. It is known from the United States.
Calycomyza artemisivora
Calycomyza artemisivora is a leaf-mining fly species in the family Agromyzidae, described in 2018. The species name refers to its association with Artemisia host plants. As a member of Calycomyza, it is part of a genus containing numerous leaf-miner species that create distinctive feeding patterns within plant tissues.
Calycomyza avira
Calycomyza avira is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described from North America in 2018. Like other members of its genus, it likely produces serpentine or blotch mines in living leaf tissue. The species was established based on morphological distinctions from congeners and associated host plant records. It represents part of a diverse radiation of Calycomyza species specialized on Asteraceae hosts.
Calycomyza cynoglossi
Calycomyza cynoglossi is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, a group known for larvae that tunnel through plant leaf tissue. The species was described in 1956 and is recorded from Indiana. Like congeners, it likely produces distinctive serpentine or blotchy mines on host plant foliage, though specific host associations remain poorly documented.
Calycomyza humeralis
aster leafminer
Calycomyza humeralis, commonly known as the aster leafminer, is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species was first described by Roser in 1840. It is known for its larval habit of creating distinctive mines in the leaves of host plants, particularly those in the Asteraceae family. The species has a broad global distribution, having been recorded across multiple continents including Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
Calycomyza ipomaeae
Calycomyza ipomaeae is a small fly species in the family Agromyzidae, a group known as leaf-miner flies. The species was described by Frost in 1931. It has been recorded across the Americas from Canada to Brazil, including the West Indies. Like other members of its genus, it likely develops as a leaf miner on host plants.
Calycomyza mikaniae
Calycomyza mikaniae is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, first described by Spencer in 1973. The specific epithet refers to its association with the genus Mikania (Asteraceae), indicating a specialized host relationship. Like other members of Calycomyza, this species produces serpentine or blotch mines in the leaves of its host plants during larval development. The species is part of a large genus of agromyzid flies that are predominantly Neotropical in distribution.
Calycomyza new-species-on-baccharis-halimifolia
This taxon refers to an undescribed or newly recognized species in the genus Calycomyza, a group of leaf-mining flies in the family Agromyzidae. The provisional designation indicates association with Baccharis halimifolia (groundsel bush) as a host plant. Calycomyza species are small flies whose larvae create distinctive mines in leaves of Asteraceae. Formal description and naming await taxonomic study.
Calycomyza novascotiensis
Calycomyza novascotiensis is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1969. The specific epithet refers to Nova Scotia, suggesting a type locality or geographic association with that region. As a member of Calycomyza, it belongs to a genus whose larvae are known to create distinctive serpentine or blotch mines in leaves. The species has been documented in northeastern North America.
Calycomyza promissa
Calycomyza promissa is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. The larvae develop within leaves of various aster species (Symphyotrichum), creating distinctive feeding tunnels. It occurs in Canada and the United States.
Calycomyza smallanthi
Calycomyza smallanthi is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described in 2019. It is associated with plants in the genus Smallanthus, likely forming leaf mines on the foliage of its host plants. As a recently described species, detailed biological information remains limited. The genus Calycomyza contains numerous species that are specialists on particular host plants, primarily in the Asteraceae family.
Calycomyza steviae
Calycomyza steviae is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1973. The species epithet indicates an association with Stevia, a genus of plants in the Asteraceae family. Like other members of Calycomyza, the larvae likely feed internally within leaf tissue, creating distinctive mines. The species is poorly documented in scientific literature beyond its original description.
Calycomyza verbenae
Calycomyza verbenae is a leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species was described by Hering in 1951. It is associated with plants in the genus Verbena and related genera, where larvae create mines within leaves. Records indicate presence in the United States and Brazil (Pará).
Calycomyza vogelmanni
Calycomyza vogelmanni is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described in 2018 by Eiseman and Lonsdale. As a member of the genus Calycomyza, it is a specialist leaf miner whose larvae feed internally within plant leaf tissue. The species is relatively recently described, with limited published information on its biology and host associations.
Cerodontha
Cerodontha is a large genus of leaf-miner flies in the family Agromyzidae, containing at least 280 described species. Larvae feed internally on plant tissues, creating distinctive mines in leaves, stems, or leaf sheaths of grasses, sedges, and other monocots. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with significant diversity in the Nearctic, Palearctic, and Australasian regions. Several species are associated with economically important crops and pasture grasses.
Cerodontha angulata
Cerodontha angulata is a species of leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. The genus Cerodontha is part of a diverse group of small flies whose larvae develop within the tissues of grasses, sedges, and rushes, creating distinctive feeding tunnels between leaf layers. The species has been recorded across a broad geographic range including North America, South America, and Europe.
Cerodontha arundinariella
Cerodontha arundinariella is a species of leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. As a member of the genus Cerodontha, its larvae develop within the leaf tissue of host plants, creating distinctive mines between the upper and lower epidermis. The species epithet suggests an association with bamboo or reed-like plants (Arundinaria). Very few observations of this species have been documented, reflecting either genuine rarity or undercollection due to its small size and specialized habitat.
Cerodontha dorsalis
grass sheathminer, grass sheathminer fly
Cerodontha dorsalis is a leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae, commonly known as the grass sheathminer. Larvae bore between the layers of grass blades and leaves of sedges and rushes, creating internal mines. The species exhibits two color forms: a pale eastern form and a dark western form, with intermediate forms where distributions overlap. It has a broad geographic range spanning the Nearctic, Palearctic, and Neotropical regions.
Cerodontha feldmani
Cerodontha feldmani is a species of leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Eiseman and Lonsdale in 2018. The genus Cerodontha contains numerous small flies whose larvae create distinctive mines within plant tissues. As a member of this genus, it shares the characteristic biology of grass- and sedge-associated leaf miners, though species-level documentation remains limited.
Cerodontha luctuosa
Cerodontha luctuosa is a species of leaf-miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. Larvae create mines within grass blades and the leaves of sedges and rushes. The species was first described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1830. It has been documented in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe.
Cerodontha magnicornis
Cerodontha magnicornis is a small leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. Larvae tunnel between the epidermal layers of grass blades and leaves of sedges and rushes, creating visible mines. Adults are attracted to blacklights and have been documented in early spring in North America. The genus Cerodontha contains numerous species with similar biology, many of which are difficult to distinguish without close examination.
Cerodontha saintandrewsensis
Cerodontha saintandrewsensis is a species of leaf-miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. The genus Cerodontha comprises small flies whose larvae create distinctive feeding patterns by boring between the layers of grass blades and leaves of sedges and rushes. This species was documented during blacklighting surveys in Leavenworth, Kansas, in early spring 2024.
Cerodontha scirpivora
Cerodontha scirpivora is a leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species was described by Spencer in 1969. Its larvae create mines between the layers of leaves in grasses, sedges, and rushes. The specific epithet "scirpivora" indicates an association with Scirpus (bulrushes), a genus of sedges.
Chrysocharis
Chrysocharis is a genus of small parasitoid wasps in the family Eulophidae. Species are primarily larval parasitoids of leafmining flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae) and casebearing moths (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae). The genus has been studied for biological control applications, particularly against agricultural pests such as Liriomyza leafminers and the larch casebearer. At least 18 species occur in North America north of Mexico, with additional diversity in Europe and the Oriental region.
Euhexomyza schineri
Poplar Twiggall Fly
Euhexomyza schineri, commonly known as the poplar twiggall fly, is a small gall-forming fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species induces smooth, circular galls on poplar twigs, with larvae developing inside before pupating in late winter to early spring. It has been recorded across North America, with additional reports from Europe and Asia. The species is associated with multiple Populus species, with quaking aspen (P. tremuloides) as the primary host.
Gronotoma
Gronotoma is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Figitidae (subfamily Eucoilinae). Species within this genus are primarily known as parasitoids of leaf-mining flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae), with documented hosts including Liriomyza trifolii, L. huidobrensis, L. sativae, L. bryoniae, Melanagromyza tomaterae, and Japanagromyza tokunagai. Several species, particularly G. micromorpha, have been extensively studied for their potential as biological control agents in agricultural systems. The genus exhibits thelytokous parthenogenesis in at least some species and shows flexibility in host stage utilization.
Halticoptera
Halticoptera is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Pteromalidae. Species in this genus are koinobiont endoparasitoids of agromyzid leafminer flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae). They have been investigated as biological control agents for leafminer pests, though host suitability varies significantly between indigenous and invasive host species.
Haplopeodes loprestii
Haplopeodes loprestii is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described in 2021 by Eiseman and Lonsdale. It belongs to the subfamily Phytomyzinae, a group known for larvae that create distinctive feeding tunnels within plant leaves. As a recently described species, detailed natural history information remains limited.
Japanagromyza
Japanagromyza is a genus of leaf-mining flies in the family Agromyzidae, comprising more than 80 described species. Species occur across the Oriental, Afrotropical, Neotropical, and Palaearctic regions. Larvae are internal feeders, with documented habits including leaf-mining and seed-feeding on diverse host plants. Several species are recognized as pests of economically or ecologically significant plants, including orchids and legumes.