Leaf-miner
Guides
Calycomyza malvae
Mallow Leaf Miner
Calycomyza malvae is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species creates distinctive mines in leaves of mallow plants (Malva species). It has been documented across the Americas from the United States through the West Indies to Brazil, with more recent records from Mexico. The common name 'Mallow Leaf Miner' reflects its specialized association with this host plant genus.
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).
Cameraria
Cameraria is a genus of leaf-mining moths in the family Gracillariidae. Larvae feed internally on leaf tissue, creating distinctive mines. The genus includes both native and invasive species, with Cameraria ohridella being a notable invasive pest of horse-chestnut trees in Europe. Species are associated primarily with host plants in the families Sapindaceae (Aesculus, Acer) and Fagaceae (Quercus, Castanea).
Cameraria aceriella
maple leafblotch miner
Cameraria aceriella, the maple leafblotch miner, is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae. It is a leaf-mining species whose larvae create distinctive blotches on maple leaves. The species was first described by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1859 and is primarily found in northeastern North America.
Cameraria aesculisella
Cameraria aesculisella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. The species is known from the eastern and southeastern United States, where its larvae create distinctive blotch mines on leaves of Aesculus (buckeye) species. Larvae hibernate through winter and resume development in spring.
Cameraria australisella
A leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, known from Illinois and Texas. The larvae create mines in leaves of white oak and shingle oak.
Cameraria bethunella
A small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, native to eastern North America. Larvae create mines in leaves of chestnut and oak species. Adults are tiny with wingspans under 8 mm. The species was originally described by Chambers in 1871.
Cameraria betulivora
Cameraria betulivora is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 7 mm. The species is restricted to eastern North America, where its larvae feed exclusively on Betula (birch) species.
Cameraria castaneaeella
Cameraria castaneaeella is a small Neotropical leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, first described by Chambers in 1875. The species is known from the northeastern and north-central United States. Larvae create mines in leaves of Castanea and Quercus species, making it a specialist herbivore on these host plants. Adults are tiny moths with a wingspan of only 6–7.5 mm.
Cameraria conglomeratella
Conglomerate Oak Leafminer Moth
A small moth in the family Gracillariidae with a wingspan of 7.5–9 mm. The larvae are leaf miners on Quercus species. Recorded from ten U.S. states.
Cameraria corylisella
Hazel Blotchminer
Cameraria corylisella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the Hazel Blotchminer. It is restricted to eastern North America, where larvae create blotch mines in leaves of hornbeams, hazels, and hophornbeams (genera Carpinus, Corylus, and Ostrya). Adults are active in spring and early summer.
Cameraria diabloensis
Cameraria diabloensis is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, described by Opler & Davis in 1981. The species is endemic to California, United States, and is associated with a specific host plant, Quercus chrysolepis var. nana. Its larvae create characteristic mines in the leaves of this oak species. The species epithet refers to Mount Diablo in California.
Cameraria fasciella
Cameraria fasciella is a micro-moth in the family Gracillariidae, known only from Kentucky and Ohio in the United States. Adults have a wingspan of 6–7 mm. The larvae are leaf miners that feed on Quercus species, specifically documented on Quercus tinctoria and Quercus velutina, creating irregular yellowish blotch mines on the upper surface of leaves.
Cameraria fletcherella
Cameraria fletcherella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. Adults have a wingspan of 8.5–9 mm. The species is known from limited localities in northeastern North America. Larvae are specialized feeders on oak leaves, creating internal mines in foliage.
Cameraria gaultheriella
gaultheria leafminer moth
Cameraria gaultheriella is a small gracillariid moth with a wingspan of 10–11 mm. The species is native to western North America (British Columbia, California, Oregon) and Maine, with adventive records in Europe where it has not established. Larvae are leaf miners on Gaultheria species, particularly Gaultheria shallon (salal). Adults respond to (E,Z)-8,10-tetradecadienal, a pheromone shared with related Cameraria species.
Cameraria guttifinitella
Poison Ivy Leaf-miner Moth
A small North American leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, with a wingspan of approximately 7 mm. Larvae are specialized feeders on poison ivy and poison oak (Toxicodendron species), creating characteristic mines within leaves. Females exhibit low leaf selectivity prior to oviposition, accepting 78% of available leaves but actually ovipositing on only 2%. The species maintains low population densities compared to congener Cameraria ohridella, attributed to more effective top-down control by parasitoids.
Cameraria hamadryadella
Solitary Oak Leafminer, Solitary Oak Leafminer Moth
Cameraria hamadryadella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, widely distributed across temperate North America. The larvae feed exclusively on oak (Quercus) species, creating distinctive mines within leaves. Adults are active in spring with typically two generations per year, though a facultative third generation may occur in warm years. Population dynamics are strongly influenced by host plant phenology, particularly the timing of autumn leaf fall, which can account for more than 50% of mortality in years with early leaf drop.
Cameraria hamameliella
Witchhazel Leafminer
Cameraria hamameliella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, first described by August Busck in 1903. The species is narrowly associated with witchhazel (Hamamelis) as its larval host, with larvae creating distinctive mines within leaves. It occurs throughout eastern North America, where it is the primary leafminer documented on native Hamamelis virginiana.
Cameraria mediodorsella
Cameraria mediodorsella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. It is endemic to California, where larvae feed on several oak (Quercus) species. The species was described by Braun in 1908.
Cameraria new-species-on-lyonia-fruticosa
An undescribed species of Cameraria (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) that has been documented feeding on Lyonia fruticosa, a shrub in the Ericaceae family. The species has not yet received formal taxonomic description. As with other Cameraria species, it likely produces blotch mines in leaves during its larval stage. The specific epithet reflects its documented host association rather than a formal scientific name.
Cameraria obstrictella
Cameraria obstrictella is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, first described by Clemens in 1859. It is found in eastern North America, where its larvae create leaf mines on oak species and wax myrtle. The species has a wingspan of 7–8 mm.
Cameraria ostryarella
Hophornbeam Blotchminer
Cameraria ostryarella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. The species is restricted to eastern North America, where its larvae feed exclusively on hophornbeam (Ostrya) species. Larvae create blotch mines in leaves, giving the species its common name. Adults are tiny, with a wingspan of only 6–7 mm.
Cameraria pentekes
Cameraria pentekes is a small leaf-mining moth described by Opler and Davis in 1981. The species is restricted to western North America, occurring in British Columbia, Canada, and the states of California and Washington in the United States. Its larvae are specialized miners of oak leaves, feeding exclusively on Quercus douglasii and Quercus lobata. The species name refers to the distinctive five-pointed vincular process of the male genitalia.
Cameraria quercivorella
Rusty Oak Leafminer
A small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, known from eastern North America. Adults are tiny with a wingspan of 6.5–7 mm. Larvae create distinctive blotch mines on the upper surface of oak leaves.
Cameraria saccharella
Sugar Maple Blotchminer
Cameraria saccharella is a microlepidopteran in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the Sugar Maple Blotchminer. The species has a wingspan of 5–7 mm and is restricted to eastern North America. Its larvae are specialized leaf miners that feed exclusively on Acer species, particularly sugar maple and related maples.
Cameraria serpentinensis
Cameraria serpentinensis is a leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, endemic to California. Adults have forewings 3.2–4.2 mm in length. The species is named for its association with serpentine soils, where one of its oak hosts occurs. Larvae create distinctive ovoid mines on several Quercus species.
Cameraria ulmella
Elm Leafminer
A minute leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, measuring 6.5–7 mm in wingspan. The species produces distinctive flat mines on the upper leaf surfaces of oak and elm trees. It exhibits bivoltine development with distinct seasonal broods that differ in overwintering strategy.
Carpatolechia notatella
sallow-leaf groundling
A small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 12–16 mm, distributed across most of Europe (excluding the Iberian and most of the Balkan Peninsula) and Turkey. Adults fly in late spring, while larvae are active in late summer and feed on willow leaves. The species is closely associated with Salix species as larval hosts.
Caryocolum proxima
Caryocolum proxima is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, with a wingspan of 9–11.5 mm. Adults are active in August. The species occurs across most of Europe and has been recorded in North America. Larvae are leaf miners that feed on Cerastium fontanum and Stellaria media.
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 enigma
Cerodontha enigma is a species of leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. The specific epithet "enigma" suggests this species presents identification challenges or has puzzling characteristics. As a member of the genus Cerodontha, its larvae likely develop within leaf tissues of grasses or related plants. The species is known from a small number of observations, indicating it may be rarely encountered or underreported.
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 scirpi
Cerodontha scirpi is a leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species name 'scirpi' refers to its association with sedges (genus Scirpus). Larvae mine between the layers of grass blades and leaves of sedges and rushes. It is recorded from North America and Europe.
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.
Chilocampyla
Chilocampyla is a genus of minute moths in the family Gracillariidae, first described by August Busck in 1900. The genus contains two described species: Chilocampyla dyariella (1900) and Chilocampyla psidiella (1934). As members of Gracillariidae, these moths likely possess the family characteristic of larval leaf-mining behavior, though specific biology for Chilocampyla species remains poorly documented. The genus is classified within the subfamily Acrocercopinae.
Chilocampyla dyariella
Chilocampyla dyariella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, endemic to Florida, United States. The species has a wingspan of 7–8.5 mm. Its larvae are specialized miners on Eugenia species (Myrtaceae), creating distinctive bladder-like blotch mines on leaves. The species was described by August Busck in 1900.
Chionodes fondella
Chionodes fondella is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 13–14 mm. It is distributed across eastern and central North America, from Nova Scotia west to Manitoba and south to Oklahoma and North Carolina. The larvae feed on specific host plants in the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families.
Chirosia flavipennis
root-maggot fly
Chirosia flavipennis is a species of root-maggot fly in the family Anthomyiidae, first described by Fallén in 1823. The species is documented as a leaf miner of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum). It occurs in northern Europe including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.