Agromyzidae
| Vernacular names | |
|---|---|
| • Deutsch: | Minierfliegen |
| • English: | leafminers leaf-mining flies |
| • Español: | moscas minadoras |
| • Français: | mineuses mouches mineuses |
Agromyzidae - (leafminer flies)
The family contains around 3,000 species of small (usually 2-3 mm) flies which are plant parasitic leafminers. It includes various important plant pests, some are invasive and polyphagous and can cause substantial crop damage. The adults suck plant juices and lay their eggs inside plant leaves. The larvae live inside the leaves feeding on the plant tissue while leaving the epidermis intact. During the feeding activities galleries or blotch mines are created with each species forming a characteristic shape of mines. Many species are host specific and some species induce shoot galls.
The life cycle may be as short as a few days, resulting in a fast population increase under suitable conditions. However, development may also extend over several months. The adult flies are grey or metallic green, sometimes with characteristic yellow markings. The family is characterized by a number of morphological features like the size and shape of the head and antennae as well as the wing venation and the arrangement of bristles.
For more details see the respective page in Wikipedia.
Note:
This page deals only with agricultural pests. For other groups of Agromyzidae see:
The following genera are currently entered under Agromyzidae:
