European Holly Leafminer

Phytomyza ilicis, the holly leaf miner, is a fly whose larvae burrow into leaves of the holly tree (Ilex aquifolium) leaving characteristic pale trails or leaf mines. The holly leaf miner has frequently been used in ecological studies as a system to study food webs since examination of the leaves can reveal whether the leaf miner has successfully emerged, been killed by a parasitic wasp, or been predated by blue tits.