Collection and preservation of specimens

Number of specimens to be collected

A large sample of specimens would be preferable. The aim is to obtain a number of adult males. Because adult females are often identifiable with certainty only to genus level, males are needed in order to examine details of the male genitalia to confirm species identification.

Preferred stage to be collected

Of the four life stages (egg, larva, pupa and adult) only adults are identifiable to species using morphological features. Larvae and pupae are identifiable to species using electrophoretic and molecular tests only.  

How to collect

Adult flies can be hand-collected into glass vials, collected with a vacuum sampler or swept from foliage with a hand net. Adult flies are normally found on the foliage. However, the most practical and reliable method is the collection of leaves with mines containing pupae or mature larvae. These can be placed in a large jar for rearing in the laboratory for obtaining adult flies (and parasitoids). Descriptions of techniques used for rearing agromyzids and their parasitoids are given in Fisher et al. (2005) and Griffiths (1962).

How to collect plant sample if required

Leaves with suspect feeding punctures or leaf mines should be picked and placed between sheets of newspaper to permit slow drying. For laboratory rearing of adult flies, mined leaves containing pupae or mature larvae can be collected in a large jar and kept in a constant temperature room for regular checking.

How to preserve plant sample

Leaves with suspect feeding punctures or leaf mines can be stored between sheets of dry newspaper.

How to preserve leafminers

Adults and larvae can be placed in 70% ethanol and stored indefinitely, although their colour fades gradually with time. Specimens required for molecular diagnostic work should be killed and preserved in 100% ethanol or frozen (- 80ºC).

How to transport leafminers

Vials of ethanol should be sealed to avoid leakage and packed with cushioning material in a strong box.

How to transport plant sample

Leaves with suspect feeding punctures or leaf mines should be mailed as a flat package between sheets of dry newspaper.

References
Fisher N, Ubaidillah R, Reina P & La Salle J (2005). Liriomyza parasitoids in southeast Asia. https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/Liriomyza/index.html

Griffiths GCD (1962). Breeding leaf-mining flies and their parasites. Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation 74: 178-185, 203-206.

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