Charley Eiseman
@ceiseman.bsky.social
Freelance naturalist, especially into leafminers, sawfly larvae, and other underappreciated herbivorous insects | http://bugtracks.wordpress.com
I've got your 2026 Leafminers of North America wall calendars right here!
That time of year again!
I’ve just finished putting together the wall calendar that my most generous patrons receive as a thank-you gift each year. As usual, I will also send a copy to anyone who makes a donation of at lea…
bugtracks.wordpress.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I've got your 2026 Leafminers of North America wall calendars right here!
A well-loved bunchberry plant (Cornus canadensis) with leaf mines of Phytomyza agromyzina (lower left), Antispila cornifoliella (other linear mines), Antispila freemani (big blotches), and a Caloptilia sp. (narrow blotch and leaf roll at right), as well as stippling from leafhopper feeding.
November 8, 2025 at 11:31 AM
A well-loved bunchberry plant (Cornus canadensis) with leaf mines of Phytomyza agromyzina (lower left), Antispila cornifoliella (other linear mines), Antispila freemani (big blotches), and a Caloptilia sp. (narrow blotch and leaf roll at right), as well as stippling from leafhopper feeding.
Ah yes, "gall nuts," the common name universally used for the genus Quercus...
November 7, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Ah yes, "gall nuts," the common name universally used for the genus Quercus...
Some weeks you don't get to name any new species, some weeks you get two. Here's my latest, complete with #OpenAccess link to the paper:
Another One!
When it rains, it pours! Two days after I posted here about the newly named species Earomyia veratri, another paper of mine has just been published, describing another new fly species. This one is …
bugtracks.wordpress.com
October 25, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Some weeks you don't get to name any new species, some weeks you get two. Here's my latest, complete with #OpenAccess link to the paper:
In my pursuit of an unknown species of leaf-mining fly on false hellebore, I accidentally discovered a new species of stem-boring fly, which had a zillion other insects living in the stems along with it.
False Hellebore Fauna
For the past decade, I have been trying to rear an unknown species of Liriomyza (Agromyzidae) that mines leaves of false hellebore (Melanthiaceae: Veratrum viride). The mines are very scarce consid…
bugtracks.wordpress.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:33 PM
In my pursuit of an unknown species of leaf-mining fly on false hellebore, I accidentally discovered a new species of stem-boring fly, which had a zillion other insects living in the stems along with it.
Three larvae of Cameraria guttifinitella (Gracillariidae), all tucked in for the winter in their cozy circular silk chambers in a poison ivy leaf.
October 1, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Three larvae of Cameraria guttifinitella (Gracillariidae), all tucked in for the winter in their cozy circular silk chambers in a poison ivy leaf.
Introducing Urodeta conocarpi (Elachistidae), a new leaf-mining moth from Florida and the Caribbean: bugtracks.wordpress.com/2025/08/24/a...
Another leafminer gets a name!
Back in March, as I was updating my chapter on the plant order Myrtales in Leafminers of North America, I was reminded of a strange little moth that Thomas Irvine had reared four years earlier (in …
bugtracks.wordpress.com
August 24, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Introducing Urodeta conocarpi (Elachistidae), a new leaf-mining moth from Florida and the Caribbean: bugtracks.wordpress.com/2025/08/24/a...
This is an unknown--probably undescribed--species that makes a frass-filled mine on Populus trichocarpa in western North America. Adults haven't yet been reared. Larvae can be found from late July to mid-October. www.inaturalist.org/observations...
August 17, 2025 at 12:40 PM
This is an unknown--probably undescribed--species that makes a frass-filled mine on Populus trichocarpa in western North America. Adults haven't yet been reared. Larvae can be found from late July to mid-October. www.inaturalist.org/observations...
I have a recurring problem where I can't get rid of the Search Results box when viewing a PDF in @adobe.com Acrobat. Anyone know how to fix this? Also, any way I can make everything AI-related go away, completely and forever?
July 24, 2025 at 10:14 PM
I have a recurring problem where I can't get rid of the Search Results box when viewing a PDF in @adobe.com Acrobat. Anyone know how to fix this? Also, any way I can make everything AI-related go away, completely and forever?
Any guesses what this says?
July 23, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Any guesses what this says?
An apparent case of xenophagy: This leaf mine on dogbane—a plant that normally has no leafminers—was made by a Phyllocnistis species, almost certainly P. populiella, which normally mines in aspen leaves. Normally when an egg is laid on the wrong kind of leaf, the larva dies in an early instar...
Genus Phyllocnistis
Phyllocnistis from Arnes Airstrip (YNR), Arnes, MB R0C 0C0, Canada on July 15, 2025 at 07:41 PM by Séraphin Poudrier
www.inaturalist.org
July 17, 2025 at 11:15 AM
An apparent case of xenophagy: This leaf mine on dogbane—a plant that normally has no leafminers—was made by a Phyllocnistis species, almost certainly P. populiella, which normally mines in aspen leaves. Normally when an egg is laid on the wrong kind of leaf, the larva dies in an early instar...
What's my best option for a low- (or no- ?) cost open-access journal, with quick turnaround, for a short paper on insect taxonomy?
July 11, 2025 at 10:59 PM
What's my best option for a low- (or no- ?) cost open-access journal, with quick turnaround, for a short paper on insect taxonomy?
Anyone going to be in southern Arizona or Mexico this summer? Someone needs to rear this mystery moth on Mirabilis longiflora! Larvae have been found from mid-August to early September; the known sites are shown here: www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Curved-horn Moths (Superfamily Gelechioidea)
Curved-horn Moths from Cochise County, AZ, USA on August 28, 2022 at 10:53 AM by Ethan
www.inaturalist.org
July 11, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Anyone going to be in southern Arizona or Mexico this summer? Someone needs to rear this mystery moth on Mirabilis longiflora! Larvae have been found from mid-August to early September; the known sites are shown here: www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Just escorted this redstart out of my garage.
July 9, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Just escorted this redstart out of my garage.
Something mining in sea lettuce (Ulva)?! www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Animals (Kingdom Animalia)
Animals from Comox-Strathcona, British Columbia, Canada on June 26, 2025 at 01:46 PM by Randal. On ulva
www.inaturalist.org
June 29, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Something mining in sea lettuce (Ulva)?! www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Beetles of the Brachys aerosus complex (Buprestidae) reared from leaf mines on 16 different host plants.
June 26, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Beetles of the Brachys aerosus complex (Buprestidae) reared from leaf mines on 16 different host plants.
One of the fanciest North American leaf mines made by a beetle.
Trumpet Creeper Leafminer (Octotoma plicatula)
Trumpet Creeper Leafminer from Balls Neck Rd, Heathsville, VA, US on June 17, 2025 at 10:17 AM by Anne Parker
www.inaturalist.org
June 18, 2025 at 5:05 PM
One of the fanciest North American leaf mines made by a beetle.
Anyone recognize these things found on/in a flower petal in Alaska? www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)
Winged and Once-winged Insects from Sitka County, US-AK, US on June 4, 2025 at 12:40 PM by M. Goff
www.inaturalist.org
June 12, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Anyone recognize these things found on/in a flower petal in Alaska? www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Anyone have a way of preventing tiny insect specimens stored in alcohol from shriveling when dried, that does not involve soaking in some toxic chemical?
May 28, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Anyone have a way of preventing tiny insect specimens stored in alcohol from shriveling when dried, that does not involve soaking in some toxic chemical?
Reposted by Charley Eiseman
Phyllocnistis sp. feeding in a subcuticular mine on a Populus trichocarpa leaf. They have a liquid diet, and I think their mandibles are somewhat like canopeners to pry the top off of parenchyma cells.
#bugsky #moths #lepidoptera #insects
#bugsky #moths #lepidoptera #insects
May 7, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Phyllocnistis sp. feeding in a subcuticular mine on a Populus trichocarpa leaf. They have a liquid diet, and I think their mandibles are somewhat like canopeners to pry the top off of parenchyma cells.
#bugsky #moths #lepidoptera #insects
#bugsky #moths #lepidoptera #insects
Oh, how I wish someone would rear this unknown Agromyza species on ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor). Now is the time to look for larvae. You can find them anywhere from British Columbia to New Mexico. www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Genus Agromyza
Agromyza from Capital Regional District, BC, Canada on April 26, 2025 at 01:29 PM by Rebecca Reader-Lee
www.inaturalist.org
May 3, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Oh, how I wish someone would rear this unknown Agromyza species on ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor). Now is the time to look for larvae. You can find them anywhere from British Columbia to New Mexico. www.inaturalist.org/observations...
First Orchestomerus eisemani mine of the season! www.inaturalist.org/observations... (this is the species whose mine is the banner on my profile page, and the adult weevil is my profile pic)
Orchestomerus eisemani
Orchestomerus eisemani from ST FRANCISVLE, LA 70775, USA on April 9, 2025 at 02:05 PM by katrina hashagen. Virginia creeper
www.inaturalist.org
April 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
First Orchestomerus eisemani mine of the season! www.inaturalist.org/observations... (this is the species whose mine is the banner on my profile page, and the adult weevil is my profile pic)
Going a little overboard illustrating my paper on rearing records for eulophid wasps. Here are females (left) and males of Chrysocharis polita, C. polyzo, C. prodice, and C. pubicornis, all reared from leafminers. Each is about 1 mm long.
April 6, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Going a little overboard illustrating my paper on rearing records for eulophid wasps. Here are females (left) and males of Chrysocharis polita, C. polyzo, C. prodice, and C. pubicornis, all reared from leafminers. Each is about 1 mm long.
This little black fly is much more exciting than you might think.
Reawakenings
Behold! This little fly emerged the day before yesterday. It might look like a pretty generic fly (it happens to be an agromyzid in the genus Agromyza), but take a look at the lid of the vial in wh…
bugtracks.wordpress.com
March 30, 2025 at 6:40 PM
This little black fly is much more exciting than you might think.