Another commonly observed mystery leafminer that I'm hoping someone can collect and rear: An Ophiomyia species (Agromyzidae) that forms winding linear mines on Lantana camara, L. x hybrida, and maybe other Lantana spp., in California, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The well-known species O. camarae makes a mine based on the midrib, with short extensions into the blade along either side:
@silversea_starsong, Mission, TX, 11/5/2021
The mystery mines are not based on the midrib, although they sometimes have similar short branches where they encounter lateral veins. It's conceivable that they are made by the same species, but adults need to be reared to confirm this.
@susanhewitt, Carlsbad, CA, 10/1/2019
@dan_johnson, Houston, TX, 10/6/2019
@kimberlietx, Southlake, TX, 6/16/2020 (note long lower-surface portion in this example)
@victorengel, Austin, TX, 7/2/2020
@silversea_starsong, Newport Beach, CA, 7/15/2020 (another example with a long lower-surface portion)
@silversea_starsong, Garden Grove, CA, 10/26/2020
@wsweet321, Long Beach, CA, 11/1/2020
@terit, Natchez, MS, 11/15/2020
@wsweet321, Long Beach, CA, 1/24/2021
@sessilefielder, Los Angeles Co., CA, 1/2021
@chalon9, El Cajon, CA, 7/23/2021
@joemdo, Medley, FL, 7/26/2021 (this one has a distinct frass line and may have been made by a different species)
@silversea_starsong, Orange, CA, 8/23/2021 (the first example follows the lateral veins a lot)
@biocowboy, Long Beach, CA, 8/24/2021
@wsweet321, Long Beach, CA, 9/16/2021
@milliebasden, San Diego, CA, 9/28/2021
@vcharny, Dauphin Island, AL, 10/11/2021
@silversea_starsong, Mission, TX, 11/5/2021
@sessilefielder, Los Angeles, CA, 3/13/2022
Comments
Thank you for the note. I’ve not seen this leafminer in SD, but will have have it on my radar for now.
I don't know if we will be back in Carlsbad this year, as Ed's mother, who lived in Carlsbad, passed away. I still have friends in Encinitas, and it would be nice to see them, but I don't know if that will happen.
Additional examples since I made this post:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110919514
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111388594
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111258369
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112225094
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/117010132
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135189317
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135317039 (similar to O. camarae)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/137591199 (ditto)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/137917648
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/139111397
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/139173345
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/139279362
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/140096343
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/141388317
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/141722090
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/141915520
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/142120391
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/142237341
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/142196414
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/144098758
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/145239730
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/146249441 (another intermediate one)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/149299692 (ditto)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/93322863
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/97293944
One mystery solved! Owen Lonsdale examined the specimens reared by @sessilefielder (male shown here) and determined them to be O. camarae, so it looks like this species just has a much more variable leaf mine than the literature lets on. It still seems a little odd to me that most (all?) of the examples in California are of this type, but it certainly simplifies identification, given that there were some intermediate examples.
Thanks for following up.
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