Bug FAQJewelweed Leaf-miner Fly
Phytoliriomyza melampyga · Order: Diptera · Family: Agromyzidae
The adult has a mesonotum with yellow bands and a yellow scutellum. It occurs in Canada, the United States and Europe. The larva mines the leaves of Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera).
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The mesonotum shows yellow bands. The scutellum is yellow.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae mine the leaves of Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to Canada, the United States and Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It belongs to the Agromyzidae family of flies.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, Vermont, New Hampshire, Virginia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plant do the larvae feed on?
The larvae mine the leaves of Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera).
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the jewelweed leaf-miner fly found?
It occurs in Canada, the United States and Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I recognize the adult fly?
Look for yellow bands on the mesonotum and a yellow scutellum.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Agromyzidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoliriomyza_melampyga
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.