More Leaf Mines

Here are a couple more leaf mines, this time both are from flies. Phytomyza angelicastri is a leaf-miner found on wild angelica and also, as in this case, on Ground Elder. This is the first mine I’ve noticed here on Ground Elder, and is a new species for the garden. The similar-looking mine (but more “random” in direction) on Aquilegia (Columbine) is from Phytomyza minuscula. Many of these miners are very specific which leaves they will go for.

Leaf Miners

I like the crazy patterns leaf miners make in the leaves. The traces are made by larvae, mostly of flies or moths, that live between the top and bottom surfaces of the leaf, eating their way around the interior in different ways until they eventually are ready to transform.  By the plant species involved and the pattern left by the larvae you can mostly identify which the species.  I've recorded mines on sugar snap peas, chard and aquilegia; also on weeds such as sow thistles, herb bennett & willowherb.  Mostly they're fairly harmless, though I'm not so happy about the damage to my chard - not that I can do much about it, if I don't want to use insecticide.