Family AGROMYZIDAE

 

 

The Agromyzidae is a fairly large family of tiny acalypterate flies with about 3,000 species in 41 genera (Pape et al., 2011) found worldwide, commonly known for the leaf mining habits of the immatures. However, leaf-mining covers only about 50% of the habits of the species of this family. Larvae of other extant forms are known to attack all parts of plant tissue including stems, roots, and flower heads.


            The fossil record of this family is replete with trace fossil records (ichnotaxa) attributed to various agromyzid fossil genera and species based on leaf mines and plant damage. All of these trace fossils must be considered as provisional identifications until such time as actual larvae or adults are found in association with these trace fossils and can be identified as agromyzids. However, due to the characteristic nature of agromyzid leaf mining damage, all taxa attributed to Agromyzidae are retained here in the family pending further study.


            In addition to those taxa listed below, Hurd et al. (1962: 110) recorded this family from the Miocene amber of Chiapas, Mexico and Poinar (1992) recorded them from the Oligocene/Miocene amber of the Dominican Republic. Zlobin (2007) recorded an unidentified compression fossil from the Eocene/Oligocene Isle of Wight.


            Winkler et al. (2010) reviewed the agromyzid fossils and removed a number of them fdrom the family and treated others as uncertain or doubtful. I have kept the latter grouping here as “Questionably Included”. Despite the relative proclivity of mine traces in earlier geologic epochs, there are no known amber representatives (see e.g., Tschirnhaus & Hoffeins (2009).  Species originally described in this family from Baltic amber have been previously removed to other families.

Ref.: Winkler et al. (2010, review of fossil taxa).

 

 

Genus AGROMYZA Fallén

 

*AGROMYZA Fallén, 1810: 21. Type species: Agromyza reptans Fallén, 1823, by subsequent designation of I.C.Z.N. (1988: 76).

praecursor Melander, 1949: 53. NE: USA (Oligocene) [C].


 

 

Genus MELANAGROMYZA Hendel

 

*MELANAGROMYZA Hendel, 1920: 114. Type species: Agromyza aenoventris Fallén, 1823, by original designation.

prisca Melander, 1949: 54. NE: USA (Oligocene) [C].


tephrias Melander, 1949: 54. NE: USA (Oligocene) [C].

 

 

Genus PALAEOPHYTOBIA Süss & Müller-Stoll

 

PALAEOPHYTOBIA Süss & Müller-Stoll, 1975: 515. Type species: Palaeophytobia platani Süss & Müller-Stoll, 1975, by monotypy.

platani Süss & Müller-Stoll, 1975: 515. PA: Hungary (Miocene) [T].


prunorum Süss & Müller-Stoll, 1980: 354. NE: USA (Eocene) [T].


salicaria Süss in Geissert et al., 1981: 222. PA: France (Pliocene) [T].

 

 

Genus PHYTOMYZA Fallén

 

*PHYTOMYZA Fallén, 1810: 21. Type species: Phytomyza flaveola Fallén, 1810, by monotypy.

lethe Hering, 1930: 63. PA: Germany (Miocene) [T].


pusilla Förster, 1891: 486 (Anthomyia). PA: Germany (Oligocene) [C].


 

 

Genus PHYTOMYZITES Straus

 

PHYTOMYZITES Straus, 1977: 77. Type species: Phytomyzites corni Straus, 1977, by monotypy.

biliapchaensis Winkler, Labandeira & Wilf in Winkler et al., 2010: 944. NE: USA (Lower Paleocene) [T].

corni Straus, 1977: 77. PA: Germany (Pliocene) [T].


schaarschmidti Wappler in Winkler et al., 2010: 948. PA: Germany (Eocene) [T].

 

 

Genus PROTOPHYTOBIA Süss

 

PROTOPHYTOBIA Süss, 1979: 170. Type species: Protophytobia cupressorum Süss, 1979, by monotypy.

cupressorum Süss, 1979: 170. PA: Netherlands (Undetermined Tertiary) [T].

 

 

 

Questionably Included in AGROMYZIDAE

 

 

Genus CUNICULONOMUS Straus

 

CUNICULONOMUS Straus, 1977: 62. Type species Cuniculonomus carpini Straus, 1977, by original designation.

carpini Straus, 1977: 62. PA: Germany (Pliocene) [T].

parallelus Givulesçu, 1984: 128 (Cuniculonomus). PA: Romania (Pliocene) [T].

 

Genus FOLIOFOSSOR Jarzembowski

 

FOLIOFOSSOR Jarzembowski, 1989: 448. Type species: Foliofossor cranei Jarzembwoski, 1989, by original designation.

cranei Jarzembowski, 1989: 448. PA: UK (England) (Paleocene) [T).

 

 

Genus LOCONOMUS Straus

 

LOCONOMUS Straus, 1977: 63. Type species: Loconomus vitis Straus, 1977, by original designation.

vitis Straus, 1977: 63. PA: Germany (Pliocene) [T].

 

 

Genus PROTONAPOMYZA Quiévreux

 

PROTONAPOMYZA Quiévreux, 1934: 878 [1935: 177]. Unavailable name; proposed after 1930 without a type-species designation.


Unidentified sp.-PA: France (Oligocene) [C] (Quiévreux, 1934: 878; 1935: 177).

 

 

Species Questionably Included in Agromyzidae

 

incerta Théobald, 1937a: 245 (Agromyza). PA: France (Oligocene) [C].


protogaea Heer, 1849: 253 (Agromyza). PA: Croatia (Miocene) [C].


querci Givulesçu, 1984: 128 (Phytomyzites). PA: Romania (Pliocene) [T].

serresi Théobald, 1937a: 356 (Agromyza). PA: France (Oligocene) [C].

vetusta Théobald, 1937a: 242 (Phytomyza). PA: France (Oligocene) [C].