SUBFAMILY AGROMYZINAE 
Genus Melanagromyza Hendel 
Me 1 ana gr omy z a Hendel, 1920: 120. Type 
of genus: Agromyza aeneoventris 
Fallen, 1823a (Europe). 
This genus was erected by Hendel for 
black-haltered species previously 
included in Agromyza . Normally there 
are only two pairs of postsutural 
dorsocentrals (dc), but a few species 
are known with three or even four, and 
in the United States, quite 
exceptionally, two species, M. 
quadrisetosa and M. trispinella , were 
discovered in California having a 
strong presutural dc. The costa 
invariably extends to vein M 1+2, but 
two exceptions are known, M. tamia and 
M. trispinosa , where the costa ends at 
vein R 4+5. Although most species are 
almost entirely black, in many the 
mesonotum or abdomen may be distinctly 
greenish or even bluish. 
Genitalia studies have shown that a 
number of species, which on external 
characters would be placed in Melan- 
agromyza , correctly belong in 
Ophiomyia . This has been confirmed by 
biological and larval characters. A 
detailed revision of European species 
was given by Spencer (1966a). 
The larvae of all known Melanagromyza 
species are internal feeders, mainly 
in the stem but also in the flower 
head or root, and pupation occurs with- 
in the plant. The posterior spiracles 
of the larva and puparium consist of 
two sclerotized plates, each with an 
ellipse of pores or ’’bulbs," normally 
surrounding a conspicuous "horn," 
which is sometimes strongly 
sclerotized (fig. 127). 
Hosts are known of 32 United States 
species, 15 in the Asteraceae and the 
others in 13 other families, even in 
the Orchidaceae. Two species were 
described from California (Spencer, 
1981), M. scrophulariae and M. 
urt icella , which can be accepted as 
feeding on Scrophularia and Urtica, 
respectively, but no reared specimens 
are known. Four other probably 
undescribed species were also seen 
after this study was completed. They 
were from the genera Ambrosia , 
Eupatorium , Lactuca, and Solidago 
(Asteraceae). With further collecting 
of puparia from stems, many additional 
species remain to be discovered. 
Melanagromyza is one of the largest 
genera in the family, with over 300 
described species. This is certainly 
a small proportion of those existing. 
Fifty-nine species are discussed here, 
of which 8 are new. Other random 
caught species have been seen, but as 
they have no distinctive char- 
acters, it has not seemed desirable to 
describe them at this stage. Two new 
synonyms are established and two 
species, M. miranda and M. tetrica, 
have been identified, known previously 
only in Canada (part 2, pp. 245, 
247). Ten other species are known in 
Canada (Spencer, 1969a; Sehgal, 1971). 
The genus is particularly well repre- 
sented in the Tropics and extends 
south to Chile, Australia (Spencer, 
1977d), and New Zealand (Spencer, 
1976b). More species are known in 
Venezuela (Spencer, 1973b) than in 
Canada (Spencer, 1969a). The fewer 
species in temperate areas will also 
apply in the United States, and more 
will be found in the Southern States 
than in the north. 
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