The larva of native holly leafminer is described as what color and form?

The larva of native holly leafminer is described as what color and form?

• A. Pale yellow, legless maggot.
• B. Green caterpillar with legs.
• C. Brown beetle larva.
• D. Black worm with legs.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is recognizing what holly leafminer larvae look like. The native holly leafminer is a fly, and its immature stage is a maggot—soft-bodied, legless, and pale yellow. These larvae feed inside the leaf tissue, which is why you identify them by this maggot-like form rather than by features of caterpillars or beetle grubs. So the description that matches the larva best is pale yellow, legless maggot. The other descriptions describe organisms with legs or different body shapes (a caterpillar, a beetle larva, or a worm with legs), which don’t fit a fly larva.

The key idea is recognizing what holly leafminer larvae look like. The native holly leafminer is a fly, and its immature stage is a maggot—soft-bodied, legless, and pale yellow. These larvae feed inside the leaf tissue, which is why you identify them by this maggot-like form rather than by features of caterpillars or beetle grubs. So the description that matches the larva best is pale yellow, legless maggot. The other descriptions describe organisms with legs or different body shapes (a caterpillar, a beetle larva, or a worm with legs), which don’t fit a fly larva.