Endophagous
Guides
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.
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 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.
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.
Cleonis
Cleonis is a genus of cylindrical weevils (Curculionidae: Lixinae: Cleonini) comprising at least 120 described species. Members are characterized by their elongated, cylindrical body form typical of the tribe Cleonini. The genus has a broad distribution across the Palaearctic region, with some species introduced to North America. Detailed biological information is available primarily for Cleonis pigra, which feeds exclusively on Asteraceae and develops within root galls.
Cydia latiferreana
Filbertworm Moth
Cydia latiferreana, the filbertworm moth, is a small tortricid moth (wingspan approximately 18 mm) found across most of North America. Adults are active from July to October, with timing varying by location. The species is a significant agricultural pest, particularly of hazelnut orchards in the Pacific Northwest, and also infests acorns of multiple oak species. Larvae develop inside nuts, reducing germination success and crop viability.
Epinotia meritana
white-fir needle miner
Epinotia meritana is a small tortricid moth whose larvae are specialized miners of fir needles. The species completes one generation annually, with adults active in mid-summer and larvae feeding internally on white fir foliage before overwintering within mined needles. It occurs in western North American conifer forests where its host trees grow.
Eucopina
Pine Coneborer and Shoot-Borer Moths
Eucopina is a genus of tortricid moths comprising approximately nine described species, all native to North America. Species in this genus are commonly known as pine coneborers and shoot-borers, reflecting their specialized association with conifer hosts. Larvae of several species are documented pests of pine and fir cones and shoots, causing economic damage in forestry contexts. The genus was formally described by Gilligan & Wright in 2014.
Exyra semicrocea
Pitcher Plant Mining Moth
Exyra semicrocea, commonly known as the Pitcher Plant Mining Moth, is a small noctuid moth specialized on pitcher plants in the genus Sarracenia. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States coastal plain, where it completes its entire life cycle within pitcher plant pitchers. Its larvae are miners that feed internally on pitcher plant tissue, making this one of the few moth species adapted to this unusual habitat.
Heterarthrinae
Heterarthrinae is a subfamily of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae. Its larvae are leaf miners, feeding internally within leaf tissue and creating characteristic mines. The subfamily is distributed primarily across Eurasia and North America, with additional species present in Africa and South America. It contains multiple genera organized into three recognized tribes: Caliroini, Fenusini, and Heterarthrini.
Larinus
Larinus is a genus of true weevils (family Curculionidae) comprising approximately 180 species, with the highest diversity in the Palaearctic region, particularly Turkey where over 50 species occur. These beetles are characterized by stocky, rounded bodies and are primarily associated with plants in the family Asteraceae. Several species have been introduced to North America as biological control agents against invasive thistles, though some have demonstrated non-target effects on native thistle species.
Liriomyza triodanidis
Liriomyza triodanidis is a leaf-mining fly species in the family Agromyzidae, described by Eiseman, Lonsdale & Feldman in 2019. The specific epithet "triodanidis" derives from the genus Triodanis, indicating an association with plants in this genus. Like other members of the genus Liriomyza, this species likely produces larvae that feed internally within leaf tissue, creating characteristic mines. The species was described relatively recently, and detailed biological information remains limited in published literature.
Marmarinae
Marmarinae is a subfamily of minute moths within the family Gracillariidae, erected by Kawahara and Ohshima in 2016 based on molecular phylogenetic analyses. It contains two genera: Marmara (the type genus) and Dendrorycter. These moths are leaf miners, with larvae that tunnel within plant tissues.
Megathyminae
giant skippers, yucca giant skippers
Megathyminae is a subfamily of skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae, commonly known as giant skippers. These are among the largest skippers, characterized by robust bodies, relatively small wings for their body size, and a strong association with succulent plants. The group contains approximately 20 species distributed primarily in arid regions of North America. Larvae are endophagous, feeding internally within the stems or roots of host plants, particularly yuccas and agaves.
Octotoma
Octotoma is a genus of tortoise beetles and hispines (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) comprising approximately 11–12 described species. Members of this genus are leaf-mining beetles with documented associations to Lantana camara, an invasive weed. Several species, notably O. championi and O. scabripennis, have been extensively studied and employed as biological control agents. The genus exhibits a leaf-mining larval phase followed by free-living, leaf-chewing adults.
Odontota dorsalis
locust leaf miner, locust leafminer
Odontota dorsalis, commonly known as the locust leaf miner, is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is native to North America and feeds primarily on black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and related species in the Fabaceae family. The beetle is known for producing distinctive 'scorched' damage on host trees, caused by both adult skeletonization and larval leaf mining. Two generations occur annually in most of its range.
Oecophyllembiinae
Oecophyllembiinae is a subfamily of moths within the family Gracillariidae, established by Pierre Réal and Alfred Serge Balachowsky in 1966. The subfamily contains seven recognized genera: Angelabella, Corythoxestis, Eumetriochroa, Guttigera, Metriochroa, and Prophyllocnistis. Members are leaf-mining moths, with larvae that feed internally on plant tissue. The group is relatively small but taxonomically stable.
Ophiomyiinae
Ophiomyiinae is a subfamily of small flies within the family Agromyzidae, commonly known as leaf-miner flies. Members of this subfamily are characterized by their highly specialized association with monocotyledonous plants, particularly grasses and sedges. The group includes economically significant pests of cereal crops and pasture grasses. Larval development occurs within plant tissues, creating distinctive feeding damage.
Phytomyza verbenae
Phytomyza verbenae is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Eiseman and Lonsdale in 2018. The genus Phytomyza comprises numerous leaf-mining species whose larvae feed internally within plant leaves, creating distinctive serpentine mines. This species is associated with verbena plants (Verbenaceae) based on its specific epithet, though detailed biological studies remain limited. Like congeners, it likely completes its development within leaf tissue, with adults emerging to coincide with host plant phenology.
Phytomyzinae
leaf-miner flies
Phytomyzinae is a subfamily of leaf-mining flies within the family Agromyzidae, comprising at least 520 described species. The larvae of these flies are internal feeders that create distinctive mines within plant leaves. They serve as hosts for various parasitoid wasps, including braconids and chalcidids. The subfamily includes economically significant genera such as Liriomyza and Phytomyza.
Pseudodineurini
Pseudodineurini is a tribe of sawflies within the family Tenthredinidae. Members are small, leaf-mining sawflies whose larvae create distinctive mines in leaves of various plants. The tribe includes the genus Pseudodineura, which contains multiple species distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. Adults are generally inconspicuous and seldom encountered compared to their more frequently observed larval mines.
Stigmella altella
Stigmella altella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Nepticulidae, known from Ohio and Maine in the United States. The species has a wingspan of 5.6–6.4 mm. It completes one generation per year in Ohio, with larvae mining oak leaves in autumn and adults emerging the following spring. The larvae are specialized feeders on two oak species: Quercus imbricaria and Quercus palustris.
Stilbosis ostryaeella
ironwood leafminer moth, ironwood leafminer
Stilbosis ostryaeella is a small moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. Its larvae are leafminers specialized on ironwood (Ostrya virginiana), creating distinctive blotch mines between leaf veins. The species is distributed across eastern North America, with adults active from late spring through summer. It overwinters as a pupa in leaf litter.
Trupanea bisetosa
fruit fly
Trupanea bisetosa is a tephritid fruit fly whose larvae develop within sunflower heads. The species was originally described as Urellia bisetosa by Coquillett in 1899. It has been documented in southern California and Mexico, with confirmed host associations to wild sunflower (Helianthus spp.).