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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #344739
Research Project: Systematics of Flies of Importance in Agroecosystems and the Environment

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: A survey of Agromyzidae (Diptera) reared from leafmines on Long Island, New York; host associations, distribution data, and the description and host association of a new species

Author
item Scheffer, Sonja
item LONSDALE, O. - California Department Of Food And Agriculture

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/7/2018
Publication Date: 7/23/2018
Citation: Scheffer, S.J., Lonsdale, O. 2018. A survey of Agromyzidae (Diptera) reared from leafmines on Long Island, New York; host associations, distribution data, and the description and host association of a new species. Zootaxa. 4450(1):77-90.

Interpretive Summary: Plant-feeding insects cause tremendous damage to agricultural crops, resulting in billions of dollars in losses worldwide. Agromyzid leafmining flies feed within leaves and are notorious pests of both vegetables and cut flower crops. We surveyed the leafminers of Long Island, New York, to determine their host plant use and geographic distributions. Approximately a third of species fed on horticultural plants. A new species on black-eyed Susan was found and is described here. This information will be of interest to scientists and pest managers.

Technical Abstract: Leafmining Agromyzidae (Diptera) are both common and widespread, yet little is known of the host associations and distribution of most species. Here we report on a multi-year study of agromyzid diversity on Long Island, New York. We reared 45 species and identified for the first time a host plant for Agromyza masculina Sehgal and a likely host plant for Ophiomyia carolinensis Spencer. Of the 45 species, 17 are new records for New York State, for which fewer than 40 agromyzid species had previously been known. A new agromyzid species was reared from blotch mines on black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia sp. and an undetermined yellow garden composite, both in the Asteraceae; this species is described here.