Agromyzidae

Agromyzidae, commonly known as leaf miner flies, is a diverse family of small Diptera whose larvae are notable for mining live plant tissues. Found worldwide, the group contains numerous genera and thousands of described species, occupying habitats from forests and grasslands to agricultural systems. The taxonomy places Agromyzidae within the broader Diptera and broadly among the plant-feeding flies, with adults typically small and slender.

Adults are usually 1–4 mm in length, often dark or metallic in color, and may display patterned wings. The life cycle is holometabolous: females lay eggs in leaf tissue, and the hatched larvae feed between leaf layers, creating characteristic mines. Mines can be serpentine, linear, blotchy, or more complex, depending on species and host plant. Pupation often occurs within the mine or, in some groups, in the surrounding leaf or soil. Development is generally rapid in warm conditions, with several generations possible per year in favorable climates.

Host range and ecology vary among species. Many agromyzids are specialized to particular plant groups, while others are polyphagous. Some of the most economically significant pests belong to the genera Liriomyza, notably Liriomyza trifolii, L. sativae, and L. huidobrensis, which attack vegetables and greenhouse crops. Phytomyza includes species that mine on woody and herbaceous ornamentals and crops. Natural enemies, particularly parasitoid wasps, play a major role in regulation of agromyzid populations.

Management in agricultural settings often relies on integrated pest management strategies, including sanitation to remove mined leaves, biological control by parasitoids, careful pesticide use to preserve natural enemies, and cultural practices such as crop rotation and the use of pest-free planting material.