Which statement about the native holly leafminer is true?

Which statement about the native holly leafminer is true?

• A. It has one generation per year.
• B. It has multiple generations per year.
• C. It is a type of beetle.
• D. It does not damage holly.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is understanding how many generations the insect completes in a year, which affects when you’ll see damage and when to target controls. The native holly leafminer is a small fly in the Agromyzidae family. Adults lay eggs on holly leaves, larvae mine the tissue, and then pupate before new adults emerge. In Maryland, cool winters and seasonal weather patterns mean this leafminer typically completes only one generation per year (univoltine). You’ll usually see mines on new growth in spring, and a second full generation is not common in this climate. So the best-supported statement is that it has one generation per year. It is a fly, not a beetle, and the leafminer does cause damage to holly, so those points don’t fit the incorrect choices.

The main idea here is understanding how many generations the insect completes in a year, which affects when you’ll see damage and when to target controls. The native holly leafminer is a small fly in the Agromyzidae family. Adults lay eggs on holly leaves, larvae mine the tissue, and then pupate before new adults emerge. In Maryland, cool winters and seasonal weather patterns mean this leafminer typically completes only one generation per year (univoltine). You’ll usually see mines on new growth in spring, and a second full generation is not common in this climate. So the best-supported statement is that it has one generation per year. It is a fly, not a beetle, and the leafminer does cause damage to holly, so those points don’t fit the incorrect choices.