Ophiomyia quinta Spencer

(Figs. 142, 144)

Material examined. IOWA: Winneshiek Co., Cresco, 43.432214, −92.009661, 24.vi.2019, em. 6.vii.2019, C.S. Eiseman & J.A. Blyth, ex Symphyotrichum (heart-leaved), # CSE5441, CNC5173216 (1♂); MAINE: Washington Co. Cherryfield, Narraguagus River, 44.610439, −67.937044, 7.viii.2024, em. by 20.viii.2024, C.S. Eiseman, ex Symphyotrichum, # CSE8987, CNC1883987 (1♀); MASSACHUSETTS: Berkshire Co., Mount Washington, Yagar Pond, 42.121803, −73.444403, 28.vi.2024, em. 2.vii.2024, C.S. Eiseman, ex Symphyotrichum lanceolatum, # CSE8873, CNC1883986 (1♂); MICHIGAN: Ingham Co., Meridian, Eastgate Park, 19.vi.2019, em. by 3.vii.2019, C.S. Eiseman & J.A. Blyth, ex Symphyotrichum?lateriflorum, # CSE5415, CNC1990537 (1♂); NEW YORK: Putnam Co., Kent, 41.433625, −73.785322, 9.vi.2024, em. 20–21.vi.2024, C.S. Eiseman, ex Symphyotrichum, # CSE8830, CNC2104689 (1♂); NORTH CAROLINA: Wake Co., Lake Crabtree County Park, 28.v.2019, em. 5– 24.vi.2019, T.S. Feldman, ex Symphyotrichum (narrow-leaved), # CSE5318, CNC1990659, CNC1990660 (1♂ 1♀); WISCONSIN: Lafayette Co., Blanchardville, 42.785217, −89.927913, 27.vi.2019, em. 3.vii.2019, C.S. Eiseman & J.A. Blyth, ex Symphyotrichum (heart-leaved), # CSE5409, CNC5177100 (1♀).

Photographed mines. ARKANSAS: Polk Co., Ouachita National Forest, 34.459055, −93.997887, 13.v.2024, L. Chen, mine on Symphyotrichum anomalum (iNat 217183448); MASSACHUSETTS: Franklin Co., Ashfield, 42.555069, −72.777325, 9.ix.2025, C.S. Eiseman, mine on Symphyotrichum ericoides (iNat 312894362); Northfield, 42.637493, −72.415822, 16.x.2018, C.S. Eiseman, mines with parasitized puparia on Symphyotrichum novi-belgii (iNat 321747748); NORTH CAROLINA: Beaufort Co., near Chocowinity, Hills Creek, 23.vi.2022, T. S. Feldman, mine on Symphyotrichum elliottii (BG 2134169); Rutherford Co., Buffalo Creek Park Trail, 21.x.2022, J. Petranka, mine on Symphyotrichum retroflexum (iNat 139622769); WISCONSIN: Marinette Co., 45.337402, −88.258339, 15.viii.2022, E. Schmidt, mine on Symphyotrichum ciliolatum (iNat 131287146); ONTARIO: Hastings Co., Sidney, 44.250, −77.520, 5.ix.2022, M.J. Oldham, mines on Symphyotrichum urophyllum (iNat 134040874); Lake Erie Co., Point Pelee, 41.956392, −82.527173, 21.vii.2021, M.J. Oldham, mines on Symphyotrichum oolentangiense (iNat 88418552).

Hosts. Asteraceae: [Symphyotrichum anomalum (Engelm.) G.L.Nesom, S. ciliolatum (Lindl.) Á.Löve & D.Löve], S. cordifolium (L.) G.L.Nesom, [S. drummondii (Lindl.) G.L. Nesom, S. elliottii (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom, S. ericoides (L.) G.L.Nesom], S. laeve (L.) Á.Löve & D.Löve, S. lanceolatum (Willd.) G.L.Nesom, S.?lateriflorum (L.) Á.Löve & D.Löve, [S. lateriflorum, S. novae-angliae (L.) G.L.Nesom, S. novi-belgii (L.) G.L.Nesom, S. oolentangiense (Riddell) G.L.Nesom, S. patens (Aiton) G.L.Nesom, S. pilosum (Willd.) G.L. Nesom, S. prenanthoides (Muhl. ex Willd.) G.L.Nesom], S. puniceum (L.) Á.Löve & D.Löve, [S. retroflexum (Lindl.) G.L.Nesom], S. shortii (Lindl.) G.L.Nesom, [S. turbinellum (Lindl.) G.L. Nesom, S. undulatum (L.) G.L.Nesom, S. urophyllum (Lindl.) G.L.Nesom] (Eiseman & Lonsdale 2018). Spencer & Steyskal’s (1986) record from “ Aster ” surely also refers to a Symphyotrichum species, and we presume their records from Solidago either represent O. maura or misidentified plants, as discussed by Eiseman & Lonsdale (2018).

Leaf mine. (Figs. 142, 144) Pale green, narrowly linear with frass in widely spaced black lumps; see Eiseman & Lonsdale (2018, as Ophiomyia parda Eiseman & Lonsdale).

Puparium. Pale bluish-white, formed within the leaf, at the end of the whitish lower-surface portion of the mine (usually adjacent to the leaf margin).

Phenology and voltinism. Multivoltine. The holotype was collected as an adult in late May (ON; Spencer 1969a). Adults have emerged in early to mid-May (AR (Spencer & Steyskal 1986), NC), early to late June (MA, NC, NY), early to mid-July (IA, MA, MI, WI), early to mid-August (ME, OH), and mid-September (MA), always from mines collected in the preceding month (Eiseman & Lonsdale 2018).

Distribution. USA: AR, *IA, *MA, *ME, *MI, *NC, NY, *OH, *WI; Canada: ON (Spencer 1969a; Spencer & Steyskal 1986). The previous New York record given by Spencer & Steyskal (1986) is questionable since it refers to a specimen reared from Solidago, and their record from Pennsylvania is even more doubtful since it is based on a female reared from Solidago (see above under Hosts). Also see Comments.

Comments. Whereas the Iowa and North Carolina males match the original description of Ophiomyia quinta and the Michigan male matches the description of O. parda, the Massachusetts and New York males exhibit a mix of features and intermediate states otherwise characteristic of the two type series, including wing length, calypter color, and details of the distiphallus and mesophallus. As such, we now consider O. parda syn. nov. to be a synonym of O. quinta. No differences in leaf mine characteristics were observed among these specimens.

In the Distribution section above, we have not listed records that have not been confirmed by rearing, which include over 1300 observations of leaf mines posted to iNaturalist and BugGuide. These observations are exclusively on Symphyotrichum spp. and document a continuous distribution from southeastern Manitoba east through Michigan and southeastern Ontario to the Canadian Maritimes, south to central and eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, central Alabama and Georgia, and North Carolina. There is a single observation from eastern British Columbia on S. puniceum (iNat 190226249), and two similar mines have been found in the Sierras of California: one on S. bracteolatum (Nutt.) G.L.Nesom (iNat 92023840), and one on an undetermined “aster” (iNat 183760011). Mines with the characterstic frass pattern of this species have also been found in Florida on Ampelaster carolinianus (Walter) G.L.Nesom (iNat 153858524, 191972820).