Agromyzidae

Tory larvae of Phytomyza ilicis

The leaf-mining flies ( Agromyzidae ) are a family of two-winged flies (Diptera ) and are among the subordination of the flies ( Brachycera ).

Description

The adults are very small and are only about two to three millimeters long. They feed on plant juices, which they suck through punctures of leaves. The yellowish-white larvae of this fly family, who like all dipterous larvae ( maggots ) no head capsule and legs, are leaf miners. They live endophytic in the leaves and other plant parts and eat them on without hurting their skin. The food pictures in motion, spiral, bubbles or space mines differ depending on the type. The female imagos have an ovipositor ( ovipositor ). Many species of this family are well suited for biological and ecological studies.

Many species of this family are of economic importance, as they can quickly develop ( in some species in just four days ) and can thereby serve with mass occurrence of damage. This applies especially to the species of the genera Liriomyza and Phytomyza. The fully developed larvae pupate either in or outside their mines or let himself fall to the ground. Their natural enemies in Central Europe include parasitic wasps such as Dacnusa sibirica and Diglyphus isaea.

Occurrence

The leaf miners are common with approximately 3,000 species worldwide. In Central Europe, about 350 species occur. In Europe, include a total of 906 species and sub- species of this family.

Fossil evidence

Numerous fossil findings on this family go exclusively to feeding traces back ( Ichnofossils ) and are therefore so long be regarded as provisional until it finds corresponding imagines or larvae. All finds are tertiary age ( Paleocene to Pliocene ). The species was originally described from Baltic amber eozänem as members of this family are now assigned to other families without exception. However, representatives of the Agromyzidae coming in Mexican and Dominican amber (both for deposits predominantly Miocene age).

Genera ( Europe only)

  • Agromyzidae Agromyzinae Agromyza Agromyza graminicola
  • Amauromyza
  • Aulagromyza
  • Calycomyza
  • Cerodontha
  • Chromatomyia
  • Galiomyza
  • Gymnophytomyza
  • Liriomyza
  • Metopomyza
  • Napomyza
  • Nemorimyza
  • Phytobia
  • Phytoliriomyza
  • Phytomyza
  • Pseudonapomyza
  • Ptochomyza
  • Selachops
  • Xeniomyza
Endophyte
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