phytomyia

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of dipterous insects formerly of the family Muscidæ, now giving name to the Phytomyidæ. They are small flies, of a blackish-gray color often spotted with yellow, and characterized by a peculiar venation of the wings. The larvæ are leaf-miners, some transforming to pupæ in the mine, while others pupate in the earth. The genus is large and wide-spread, with over 50 European and 7 North American species.