What does the larva of the native holly leafminer look like?

What does the larva of the native holly leafminer look like?

• A. Pale yellow, legless maggot, tapered with head retracted.
• B. White grub with legs.
• C. Green caterpillar with legs.
• D. Dark worm with a visible head capsule.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is recognizing the larval form of the native holly leafminer by its appearance. Holly leafminer larvae are small, pale yellow maggots that lack legs and have a body shape that tapers toward the end, with the head tucked back out of sight. This legless, maggot-like form is typical of many leafminer larvae that feed inside leaf tissue, causing the characteristic mines. The other descriptions fit different kinds of larvae: a white grub with legs would be a scarab beetle larva; a green caterpillar with legs is a caterpillar (Lepidoptera); and a dark worm with a visible head capsule isn’t the slender, legless leafminer larva. So the pale yellow, legless maggot with a retracted head best matches the native holly leafminer larva.

The key idea is recognizing the larval form of the native holly leafminer by its appearance. Holly leafminer larvae are small, pale yellow maggots that lack legs and have a body shape that tapers toward the end, with the head tucked back out of sight. This legless, maggot-like form is typical of many leafminer larvae that feed inside leaf tissue, causing the characteristic mines.

The other descriptions fit different kinds of larvae: a white grub with legs would be a scarab beetle larva; a green caterpillar with legs is a caterpillar (Lepidoptera); and a dark worm with a visible head capsule isn’t the slender, legless leafminer larva. So the pale yellow, legless maggot with a retracted head best matches the native holly leafminer larva.