A list of "mystery" leafminers, mostly in NYC
Charley Eiseman told me I had observed some interesting mysteries in terms of the leafminers that I photographed during 2018. Some of these may be new species.
I decided to create a journal post listing the mysteries, so that anyone who might want to investigate them can easily find my mystery observations, and then hopefully be able to find more of the leafminers while they are in the larval stage this year.
Please feel free to message me if you want more info about where exactly any of these were found. Also, bear in mind that by the date I photographed the mine, the larva may already have turned into a pupa, and the adult insect may have already have hatched out, and flown away.
Charley also explained to me that if I find any of these mystery leafmines where the mine is still occupied by the larva, and if I don't want to try to raise them myself, which is likely to be the case (even though it is quite easy to do), in that case I could send the leaves to him, so he can raise the larvae.
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IN NEW YORK CITY
*** RANDALL'S ISLAND
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A mystery leafminer in Rudbeckia. This one is relatively common in the Freshwater Wetland Wildflower Meadow on Randall's Island.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/14578192 -- July 21st 2018
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/15882221 -- Aug 25th 2018
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/15878574 -- two on one plant, Aug 25th 2018
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/15879001
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/15919795 -- Aug 26th, 2018 -
A mystery leafminer in Common Hackberry saplings, Celtis occidentalis Aug 26th 2018, Randall's Island.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20056950
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16975607 -
A mystery leafminer in a baby Cirsium plant, Sept 8th 2018, Randall's Island.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16329391
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*** ELSEWHERE IN MANHATTAN -
A mystery leaf miner in Pennsylvania Everlasting, Gamochaeta pensylvanica, photographed by me on August 19th 2018. Unfortunately the host plant seems to me to be rather rare in NYC.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/15698394 -
A mystery leafminer in Populus Sept 12th 2018, Upper East Side.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16460892 -
A mystery leafminer (might be the mallow leaf miner, Calycomyza malvae) in a cultivated plant known as Violettas, Anoda cristata in a community garden, Oct 28th 2018
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/17915348 -
A mystery leafminer in leaves on saplings of Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, Sept 1st 2018. Outside my building, Upper East Side. I need to get view of the underside of the leaf. This miner is likely to be Calycomyza malvae, but it needs confirmation.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16108276
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AND THREE FROM ENCINITAS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
A mystery leafminer on Chenopodium ?murale in Encinitas, San Diego County, California: Sept 28th 2018.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/17014680
A mystery leafminer on Toyon in Encinitas, San Diego County, California: Sept 27th 2018.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16975607
Another of the same thing on Toyon in Encinitas, San Diego County, California: Sept 27th 2018.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16978404
In a leaf of Coastal Live Oak, Oct 1, 2018 -- not sure this one is a mystery.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/17107409
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Comments
Wow! Good luck Susan!
Actually I am not planning to try to raise leafminers to adulthood myself, because I have so much mollusk research to do, and so many mollusk papers to write.
But I figure many people might be interested to see these leafminers, to observe them for iNat, and maybe to raise them, which is not at all difficult. I can almost certainly help anyone here in the NYC region to find the leafmines of these particular mystery leafminers!
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