Stem miner (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in Lobelia [0314]

Order	Diptera
Family	Agromyzidae[M,P,A]
Lower taxon	Ophiomyia sp.
No. spp. involved	One confirmed [1-C]
Feeding mode	Stem miner
Host plant	Indian tobacco, Lobelia inflata (Lobeliaceae)

The puparium of this stem miner is formed under the stem epidermis, with the anterior spiracles projecting. The stem may show a yellowish or light greenish discoloration where it has been mined by a larva. In one of the examples shown in the photos below, the larva's frass takes the form of irregular splotches deposited sporadically in the mine. A male adult was reared from an overwintered puparium in spring 2023.

In addition to the photos below, a stem mine can be seen in one of the photos of the host plant shown for plant identification purposes on the Minnesota Wildflowers website at https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/indian-tobacco.

IMG#: 0314-09
An affected plant, with arrow indicating mined area of stem. (Photo date: September 29, 2024)

IMG#: 0314-12
Puparium under stem epidermis. (Photo date: September 29, 2024)

IMG#: 0314-01
Puparium in stem. (Photo date: November 12, 2022)

IMG#: 0314-03
Puparium, with covering of stem epidermis partly removed.

IMG#: 0314-04
Anterior spiracles of puparium projecting through stem epidermis.

IMG#: 0314-05
Posterior spiracles of puparium.

IMG#: 0314-06
Mined area of stem, showing sporadically deposited lumps of frass.

IMG#: 0314-08
Adult, reared in spring from overwintered puparium.

Specimen data for images

Coll. 11/12/22, photos of mine and puparium same day (01-07), adult em. 03/27/23, photos of adult on 03/30/23 (08); field photos of an affected plant taken on 09/29/24 (09-13).

References

[none]

Page created 11/29/23. Last update: 11/19/24