What is a leaf miner?
Q: What is a leaf miner?
A: A leaf miner is the larva of an insect that lives inside a leaf and eats it.
Q: What types of insects are usually leaf miners?
A: Most leaf-mining insects are moths (Lepidoptera), sawflies (Symphyta, a type of wasp), flies (Diptera), and some beetles.
Q: How do leaf miners protect themselves from predators and plant defences?
A: Leaf miners are protected from many predators and plant defences by feeding inside a leaf, eating its tissues.
Q: What do leaf miners eat in a leaf?
A: Leaf miners eat only the layers that have the least cellulose.
Q: What do leaf miners do when attacking Quercus robur?
A: When attacking Quercus robur (English oak), leaf miners feed on tissues with lower levels of tannin.
Q: How can the responsible insect for leaf mining be identified?
A: The pattern of the feeding tunnel and the layer of the leaf being mined shows what insect is responsible, sometimes even to the exact species. The pattern of frass deposition, mine shape, and host plant identity also show the species and instar of the leaf miner.
Q: What has been suggested as a possible reason for some leaf variegation patterns?
A: It has been suggested that some patterns of leaf variegation may be part of a defensive strategy used by plants. It deceives adult leaf miners into thinking that a leaf has already been preyed upon.
