Miners
Miners are insect larvae, mostly from certain butterflies and beetles , but also from miner flies , which eat leaves or needles between their upper and lower skins ( cuticula ). Typically shaped feeding tunnels (mines) are created. The leaf or needle dies around the tunnels and turns brown. If the infestation is severe, they dry up completely and fall to the ground.
In some areas where certain miners are very strong due to a lack of enemies, entire stands of trees can lose their foliage , especially in deciduous trees. For example, the horse chestnut leaf miner ( Cameraria ohridella ) can give parks and avenues an autumn mood in summer.
Types (examples)
Butterflies
- Family of leaf miners (Gracillariidae)
- Family of nepticulidae (Nepticulidae)
- Species of the family of spider moths and bud moths (Yponomeutidae)
- Family of the feather genie
Beetle
- Species of the jewel beetle family (Buprestidae)
Two-winged
- Leaf miners (Agromyzidae)
Collections
In addition to numerous phytopathological institutes at universities and colleges, most of the collections can be found at natural history museums . For example, Erich Martin Hering and Friedrich Ludwig Stellwaag's mine collections are located in the Wiesbaden Museum , which have been digitized.