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INSECTS ON ASPEN: LEAF MINERS Leaf mines on aspen are done by many different moths, sawflies, beetles, and flies. Usually the miner group can be identified on the basis of the shape of the mine, but more exact identification may require rearing the larvae to adults. |
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Leaf-mining moths (Lepidotera) Moths belonging to many families make mines in aspen leaves. Below is just one example. Click here or here to get to pages with more leaf-mining moths. |
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Phyllocnistis labyrinthella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) Identification not confirmed yet... |
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Phyllocnistis labyrinthella on Populus tremula. |
Phyllocnistis labyrinthella on Populus tremula. |
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Leaf-mining sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) Only two Finnish sawfly species are leaf miners on Populus tremula. Click here for more information on other leaf-mining sawflies. |
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Heterarthrus ochropoda (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) Heterarthrus ochropoda is one of two sawfly species that mine in aspen leaves in Finland, the other one is Fenusella glaucopsis. The mines of H. ochropoda are large blotch mines, and the larvae remove frass from the mine. |
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Mine and larva of Heterarthrus ochropoda on Populus tremula. |
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Leaf-mining beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) The chrysomelid beetle genus Zeugophora contains many leaf-mining species that live on aspen. |
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Zeugophora sp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Larvae of Zeugophora species live inside large blotch mines on aspen leaves. The mine surface becomes blackish, which makes the mines of these beetles easy to find and identify. Each mine typically houses several yellow, legless beetle larvae. There are several Finnish Zeugophora species, and the larvae need to be bred to adults in order to identify the exact species. |
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Communal blotch mine of Zeugohora sp. on a Populus tremula leaf. Note the darkened and hard surface of the mine. |
Zeugohora mines usually contain multiple yellow larvae. Note the three round oviposition marks that are visible in a row next to the leaf midrib. |
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Leaf-mining flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae) |
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Aulagromyza tremulae? (Diptera: Agromyzidae) Identification not confirmed yet... |
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Mine of Aulagromyza tremulae (?) on Populus tremula. |
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