Liriomyza eupatoriella Spencer

Eiseman, Charles S. & Lonsdale, Owen, 2018, New state and host records for Agromyzidae (Diptera) in the United States, with the description of thirty new species, Zootaxa 4479 (1), pp. 1-156 : 49

Liriomyza eupatoriella Spencer

( Figs. 138–139 )

Material examined. IOWA: Winneshiek Co., Cresco , Cold Water Creek Rd. , 43°25'55.97"N, 92° 0'34.78"W, 16.vii.2015, em. 22–23.vii.2015, C.S. Eiseman, ex Ageratina altissima , #CSE1797, CNC654352 , CNC654353 (2♂) ; KANSAS: Riley Co., Konza Prairie Biological Station , 3.vii.2015, em. 21–26.vii.2015, C.S. Eiseman, ex Vernonia baldwinii , #CSE1768, CNC564709 , CNC564710 (2♂) ; MASSACHUSETTS: Franklin Co., Northfield, 276 Old Wendell Rd. , 6.vi.2016, em. 22–28.vi.2016, C.S. Eiseman, ex Ageratina altissima , #CSE2613, CNC654063–654069 (5♂ 2♀); same collection data, em. 30.vi–7.vii.2016, #CSE2677, CNC654081–654087 (3♂ 4♀).

Hosts. Asteraceae : Ageratina altissima (L.) R.M. King & H. Rob., * Vernonia baldwinii Torr.

Leaf mine. ( Figs. 138–139 ) Spencer & Steyskal (1986) stated that this species forms a “long, narrow linear mine” on Ageratina . They made no mention of frass, but their illustration seems to show abundant and conspicuous frass. Our mines on Ageratina were whitish with diffuse greenish frass for most of their length, with some dark green to black grains and irregular streaks toward the end ( Fig. 138 ). Those on Vernonia were markedly contorted, at least initially, with frass in long, black strips along the sides ( Fig. 139 ). Mines on both hosts were 1.5–2 mm wide at the end (or rarely as narrow as 1 mm on Ageratina ).

Puparium. Yellowish; formed outside the mine. On Ageratina , the puparium is frequently glued with black frass to the lower leaf surface.

Distribution. USA: *IA, *KS, *MA, MD, MN (leaf mines only), VA, WI.

Comments. The Vernonia specimens agree closely with this species, except that the mesophallus and distiphallus are slightly shorter and thicker, and they may represent a sister species. This is the first Nearctic Liriomyza to be reared from Vernonia ; the record of L. trifolii from this host ( Benavent-Corai et al. 2005) derives from an empty mine on V. gigantea (Walter) Trel. that was only tentatively associated with that species ( Spencer & Stegmaier 1973; Spencer 1990).

Figures

FIGURES 133–143. leaf mines; 133: Liriomyza arctii Spencer in Ƒerbesina alternifolia; 134: L. asclepiadis Spencer in Asclepias exaltata; 135: L. baccharidis Spencer in Erigeron annuus, lower surface (left) and upper surface (right); 136: L. blechi Spencer in Plantago virginica; 137: L. brassicae (Riley) in Lepidium virginicum; 138: L. eupatoriella Spencer in Ageratina altissima; 139: L. eupatoriella in Ƒernonia baldwinii; 140: L. eupatorii (Kaltenbach) in Baccharis halimifolia; 141: L. fricki Spencer in Trifolium repens; 142: L. galiivora (Spencer) in Galium circaezans (transmitted light); 143: L. ivorcutleri spec. nov. in Silphium perfoliatum.