Flies
Flies are one of the most diverse groups of insects, with over 18,000 species in North America north of Mexico (U of Montana). To our knowledge, there is no estimate of the number of species in North Carolina. Thus, this group represents a significant gap in our knowledge of biodiversity in the state. Flies in the family Agromyzidae in particular make up a large percentage of fly species in North America, representing over 850 species in North America north of Mexico (Eiseman et al. 2021), several of which are still undescribed. So far, we have recorded 153 species in North Carolina, 17 of which were described since 2019 (Eiseman et al. 2019; Eiseman et al. 2021; Eiseman et al. 2026).
Flies in the Agromyzidae are usually leaf-miners or stem-miners, meaning that their larvae burrow through leaf or stem tissue, feeding on the internal cells of leaves and stems as larvae. Some pupate within the mined plant material as well, although several exit and pupate in leaf litter. One species (Agromyza deserta) generates a stem gall rather than a mine. These flies are closely tied with their host plants—most are relatively host specific (specializing on one plant family or genus, but sometimes perhaps on only one species). Also, they do not seem to occur everywhere their host plants occur. Thus, their conservation is tied with plant conservation, but may involve other factors unknown to us so far.
We are only just now getting a small handle on biodiversity of this group, but have little sense of their abundance (except for some common species). In addition, a few people have collected and recorded members of the Agromyzidae in a few places across North Carolina, but the distribution of many of these species remains unknown. Additional abundance and distribution data for these species may allow us to determine the conservation status of these species in North Carolina. This web site is part of that effort.
Eiseman C.S., Lonsdale O., and Feldman T.S. 2019.
Nine new species of Agromyzidae from North Carolina, USA, with new host and distribution records for additional species. Zootaxa 4571: 301-333.
Eiseman C.S., Lonsdale O., Van Der Linden J., Feldman T.S., and Palmer M.W. 2021.
Thirteen new species of Agromyzidae (Diptera) from the United States, with new host and distribution records for 32 additional species. Zootaxa 4931: 001-068.
Eiseman C.S., Lonsdale O., Feldman T.S., and Van Der Linden J. 2026.
Thirty-three new species of Agromyzidae (Diptera) from the United States and Canada, with new host and distribution records for 154 additional species. Zootaxa 5745: 001-265.