Journal archives for May 2020

May 12, 2020

New target species - Leafminers

We haven't had a new target species for a while, and with Cheilosa fasciata, Millium effusum, and Zimmermannia liebwerdella leaving the target list soon I thought I'd add a few new ones. Leafminers are a very under-observed group in Germany, so those might be a good fit for
our project. Here are a few fairly distinctive ones to start with:

  1. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/715391-Agromyza-nigrescens
    This species mines on Geranium sp. (I've seen them most on G. molle), here's a link with more information: https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/diptera/brachycera/agromyzidae/agromyzinae/agromyza/agromyza-nigrescens/

  2. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/339405-Phytomyza-ranunculi
    This species can often be found on Ranunculus, Anemone, and Ficaria verna, and can be distinguished from the similar Phytomyza ranunculivora through; "frass grains fine, separated by less than their diameter, often also fusing into pearl strings". Here's a link with more information: https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/diptera/brachycera/agromyzidae/phytomyzinae/phytomyza/phytomyza-ranunculi/

if you make any leafmine observations (some of you do already), I would really Appreciate it if you add them the Leafminers of Europe project on iNat.

Happy iNatting, and good luck finding some leafmines,
Alexis (@alexis_orion)

Posted on May 12, 2020 06:11 AM by alexis_orion alexis_orion | 15 comments | Leave a comment