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hello flyforum,

I found this fly on a leave of Ilex aquifolium.
There where a lot of mines in these leaves and I was wondering if this fly is Phytomyza ilicis?

Robert Heemskerk

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no good picture, but you can see some typical wings.

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Hi Robert - not a fly, but a psocopteran

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Ok!, thank you very much!

psocoptera is not a fly ;), I am sorry. .

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some kind of Bark Louse I think?

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Yes, an insect of the family Coccidae, which infests the bark of trees and vines.

:D

(it's in the wrong Forum, Other insects is the place to be I think..)

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No, bark louse is not Coccoidea (scales) but Psocoptera. And this is indeed a psocopteran.

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Ok!, I'll stop giving wrong information..

Is psocopteran hetzelfde als Psocoptera sp.? of is het meer een onderverdeling van de soort?
Hier kan ik zelf niets over vinden..

(I cannot find information between Psocoptera sp. and Psocopteran)

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Hi Robert,

Although it is difficult to say after your photo of this specimen (since it is not very clear :(), the wing markings could indicate your specimen might belong to Ectopsocus briggsi (with very much reservation :)). This is a rather common species of the order Psocoptera, family Ectopsocidae.

Jan Willem

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Thank you Jan Willem for your suggestion!

I'll name it Psocoptera sp. and will look better to the wing markings next time..

robert heemskerk

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By the way, Robert, if you want to see Phytomyza ilicis, you can put a branch with some infested leaves in a jar with water (e.g. wet tissue), and some netting on top (e.g. ladies' stockings). I tried this once and they came out end of April.

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I'll make a nice jar for the Phytomyza ilicis..;)

thanks for the suggestion!