THE SERPENTINE LEAF-MINER 
By F. M. Webster, In Charge , and T. H. Parks, Assistant , Cereal and Forage Insect 
Investigations , Bureau of Entomology 
INTRODUCTION 
The serpentine leaf-miner (Agromyza pusilla Meig., fig. i, a) was 
described in 1830 from central Europe 1 without definite locality or 
host plant. The family to which this insect belongs consists of a group 
of small flies the larvae of which are largely leaf-miners. Some, however, 
are known to feed upon scale insects, 
while Agromyza tiliae Couden 2 and 
A. magnicornis Loew 3 are known 
to make galls on twigs of linden 
(Tilia americana) and on leaves of 
blue flag (Iris versicolor ), respec¬ 
tively. Of the species of economic 
interest in America Agromyza sim¬ 
plex Loew occasionally becomes in¬ 
jurious to asparagus 4 by mining 
the stems. In Australia A . phaseoli 
Coq. seriously injures stems of grow¬ 
ing beans, 5 while in India stems of 
young peas are similarly injured by 
a species of Agromyza. 6 
The habits of Agromyza pusilla as 
a leaf-miner of clovers have long been 
known, both in Europe and America, and its injuries have been recorded 
by some of the earliest students of entomology. With the rapid increase 
of alfalfa culture in the United States, especially in the irrigated sections 
of the West, the work of this leaf-miner as an enemy of forage crops has 
been more and more frequently called to the attention of the Bureau 
of Entomology. During the past three years this insect has been the 
Fig. i.—T he serpentine leaf-miner {Agromyza 
pusilla) : a, Adult; b, side view of head; c, side view 
of thorax, showing characteristic color pattern; 
d, dorsal view of abdomen, melanic phase; e, out¬ 
line of thorax, showing location of characteristic 
bristles. Much enlarged. (Original.) 
1 Meigen, J. W. Systematische Beschreibung der Bekannten Europaischen Zweiflugeligen Insekten. 
T. 6, Hamm, 1830, p. 185. 
2 Couden, F. D. A gall-maker of the family Agromyzidae. (Agromyza tiliae, n. sp.) Proc. Ent. Soc. 
Wash., v. 9, p. 34-36, fig. 1, 1907.1908. 
3 Thompson, M. T. Three galls made by cyclorrhaphous flies. Psyche, v. 14, no. 4. P- 74 . fig- 3 , Aug., 
1907. 
4 Chittenden, F. H. The asparagus miner. ( Agromyza simplex Loew.) U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Ent. 
Circ. 135, 5 p., 2 fig., 1911. 
6 Froggatt, W. W. The French bean fly. ( Agromyza phaseoli , Coquillett.) Agr. Gaz. N. S. Wales, v. 22, 
pt. 2, p. 151--154, Feb., 1911. Also pub. as N. S. Wales Dept. Agr. Misc. Pub. No. 1399. 
6 Maxwell-Lefroy, Harold. Indian Insect Life. Calcutta and Simla, 1909, p. 622-623. 
Vol. I, No. 1 
Oct. 10, 1913 
K—1 
(59) 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Dept, of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 
