Pelham road Durham NC leaf miner on Sonchus 2015 1 - Ophiomyia beckeri

Moved

Moved from Ophiomyia.

First record of this species from North America!

… Charley Eiseman, 7 December, 2016 - 3:19pm

Introduced?

The host plant is not native.

… John F. Carr, 14 December, 2016 - 7:55pm

It is by no means restricted to this host in Europe...

but I would guess that this one is introduced. More distribution data would be nice, to be able to say that with more certainty.

… Charley Eiseman, 14 December, 2016 - 7:58pm

This would be a good one to try to rear--

Might be Ophiomyia pulicaria, but I'm wondering if it could be O. coniceps. Either way, the puparium should be in the mine, which may extend into the petiole or even the stem.

… Charley Eiseman, 16 June, 2015 - 7:58am

The fly just came out this morning

The fly from this one just emerged this morning, as did gall midges from Baccharis stem galls I collected yesterday.

… Tracy S. Feldman, 16 June, 2015 - 8:48am

Great!

Hope it's a male!
Ray Gagne at the USDA would probably be interested in the midges. I will be sending something to him later this year, if you want to include them in the next package you send me. If there is any way you can put specimens in some kind of alcohol (70% isopropyl from the drug store would do, though Everclear, which is 95% ethanol and is suitable for DNA preservation, is ideal), the specimens will stay in much better condition than if they are allowed to dry out.

… Charley Eiseman, 16 June, 2015 - 9:02am

Is it impossible to ID females? Is it possible to ID them through DNA techniques?

… Tracy S. Feldman, 16 June, 2015 - 9:07am

Females

For many agromyzids (among other things), species determination is based on male genitalia. DNA can work, but only if the species has been barcoded previously.

To clarify my parenthetical note in my last comment: I think 70% alcohol (of whatever kind) is best for midges; because they are soft-bodied and delicate, they may become too brittle if put in 95%. Ray Gagne isn't doing DNA work on midges, so that's not an issue there. Agromyzids preserved in Everclear (or other non-denatured ethanol) may well have their DNA analyzed eventually, but it is likely to take a few years to get results. Sending agromyzids dry should be adequate for ID and DNA, but if drowning them in alcohol is an option it would preserve them better.

… Charley Eiseman, 16 June, 2015 - 9:14am

Moved

Moved from Unidentified Leaf Mines.

… Charley Eiseman, 16 June, 2015 - 7:57am