Ophiomyia maura

Ophiomyia maura

Ophiomyia maura is a species of leaf miner flies.

Adult: wing length 1.9 to 2.5 mm., costa extending to m1+2, last and penultimate sections of m4 normally equal but distinctly variable (I have seen one male with the last section longer, in ratio 21:16 with penultimate); irons one and a half times width of eye; jowls narrow, between one-sixth and one-eighth vertical height of eye, not greatly projecting, forming vibrissal angle of about 80°; vibrissal horn in male rather slender; facial keel broad but rather flat, with slight central furrow.
Male genitalia: aedeagus asymmetric, surstyli with about six blunt teeth and two or three fine hairs at end.

Larva: posterior spiracles each with four bulbs on one arm and seven on the other.
Linear Leaf Mines- Ophiomyia maura The mines are linear, narrow, and have faint frass lines. Habitat: The leaf mines were on white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) that was growing along nature trails in a mostly deciduous forest https://www.jungledragon.com/image/84196/linear_leaf_mines-_agromyzidae.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/84195/linear_leaf_mines-_agromyzidae.html Agromyzidae,Geotagged,Ophiomyia,Ophiomyia maura,Spring,United States,leaf mine,leafminer,leafminer fly

Naming

Ophiomyia maura Meigen, 1838
Agromyza affinis Malloch, 1913
Agromyza maura Meigen, 1838
Ophiomyia asteris Kuboda, 1964: Holotype in Biological Laboratory, Yazu High School, Tottori Pref., Japan.
Linear Leaf Mines- Ophiomyia maura The mines are linear, narrow, and have faint frass lines. Habitat: The leaf mines were on white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) that was growing along nature trails in a mostly deciduous forest https://www.jungledragon.com/image/84194/linear_leaf_mines-_agromyzidae.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/84196/linear_leaf_mines-_agromyzidae.html Geotagged,Ophiomyia maura,Spring,United States

Distribution

Widespread in Europe, Japan, North America.
Ophiomyia maura Ophiomyia maura leaf mine in Smooth Goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) leaf. Geotagged,Ophiomyia maura,Smooth Goldenrod,Solidago gigantea,Summer,United States

Behavior

Larvae form long, linear mines in various species of Astereae, especially goldenrods (Solidago). The mines are made in the upper surface of the leaf with frass conspicuously placed as widely-spaced black grains. Pupation occurs in the leaf.
Leafminer Fly (Puparium) - Ophiomyia maura I collected 3 leaves with these mines on 8/17/25. One had a blue-green puparium, which is seen in this photo. From collection to adult emergence, the green puparium gradually darkened. On 8/30/25, an adult emerged from the puparium. Host: Solidago https://www.jungledragon.com/image/171251/leafminer_fly_puparium_-_ophiomyia_maura.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/171253/leafminer_fly_puparium_-_ophiomyia_maura.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/171252/leafminer_fly_adult_-_ophiomyia_maura.html Geotagged,Ophiomyia,Ophiomyia maura,United States,leafminer,pupa,puparium

Food

Leaf tissue of members of the Asteraceae especially Goldenrod (Solidago spp.).
Leafminer Fly (Puparium) - Ophiomyia maura I collected 3 leaves with these mines on 8/17/25. One had a blue-green puparium. From collection to adult emergence, the green puparium gradually darkened, as you can see in this photo. On 8/30/25, an adult emerged from the puparium. Host: Solidago https://www.jungledragon.com/image/171251/leafminer_fly_puparium_-_ophiomyia_maura.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/171253/leafminer_fly_puparium_-_ophiomyia_maura.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/171252/leafminer_fly_adult_-_ophiomyia_maura.html Geotagged,Ophiomyia maura,United States

Predators

Idiobiont and koinobiont parasitoids.
Leafminer Fly (Adult) - Ophiomyia maura I collected 3 leaves with these mines on 8/17/25. One had a blue-green puparium. From collection to adult emergence, the green puparium gradually darkened. On 8/30/25, an adult emerged from the puparium. Host: Solidago https://www.jungledragon.com/image/171251/leafminer_fly_puparium_-_ophiomyia_maura.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/171253/leafminer_fly_puparium_-_ophiomyia_maura.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/171252/leafminer_fly_adult_-_ophiomyia_maura.html Geotagged,Ophiomyia maura,United States

Defense

Complex leaf mines to deter idiobiont and koinobiont parasitoids.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1058167
http://www.ukflymines.co.uk/Flies/Ophiomyia_maura.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiomyia_maura

Yoshiko Ayabe and Takatoshi Ueno. Complex Feeding Tracks of the Sessile Herbivorous Insect Ophiomyia maura as a Function of the Defense against Insect Parasitoids. PLoS ONE 7(2):e32594, February 2012. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221890981_Complex_Feeding_Tracks_of_the_Sessile_Herbivorous_Insect_Ophiomyia_maura_as_a_Function_of_the_Defense_against_Insect_Parasitoids

Kenneth A. Spencer. A revision of the Palaearctic species of the genus Ophiomyia Braschnikoy (Díptera: Agromyzidae). https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Beitraege-zur-Entomologie_14_0773-0822.pdf
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderDiptera
FamilyAgromyzidae
GenusOphiomyia
SpeciesO. maura
Photographed in
United States of America