Serpentine leaf miner

{{Short description|Species of fly}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Serpentine leafminer.jpg

| image_caption =

| display_parents = 3

| genus = Liriomyza

| species = brassicae

| authority = (Riley, 1885){{cite journal |last1=Riley |first1=C.V. |title=Report of the entomologist |journal=Comnr. Agr. RPT. U.S. Dept. Agr |date=1885 |volume=1884}}

| synonyms = *Liriomyza hawaiiensis Frick, 1952{{cite journal |last1=Frick |first1=K.E. |title=Four new Hawaiian Liriomyza species and notes on other Hawaiian Agromyzidae (Diptera) |journal=Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society |date=1952 |volume=14 |pages=509–518}}

• Liriomyza ornephila Garg, 1971{{cite journal |last1=Garg |first1=P.K. |title=Studies on Agromyzidae (Diptera) from the Gangetic Basin: Part IV: Descriptions of four new species of Liriomyza Mik |journal=Oriental Insects Suppl |date=1971 |volume=1 |pages=235–246|doi=10.1080/00305316.1971.11745220 }}
• Oscinis brassicae Riley, 1885
• Phytomyza mitis Curran, 1931

}}

The serpentine leaf miner is the larva of a fly, Liriomyza brassicae, in the family Agromyzidae, the leaf miner flies. It mines wild and cultivated plants, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Chinese broccoli.{{cite web |url=http://bugguide.net/node/view/662020 |title=Species Liriomyza brassicae - Serpentine leaf miner |publisher=BugGuide |accessdate=9 July 2017}}{{cite book |last1=Spencer |first1=Kenneth A. |title=Agromyzidae (Diptera) of Economic importance Series Entomologica| volume = 9 |date=1973 |publisher=Dr. W. Junk bv |location=The Hague. D. Gld. |pages=xii + 418 p}}

It is distributed in the Pacific, Africa, and the Americas.[http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/crop/Type/liriom_b.htm Liriomyza brassicae (Riley).] Crop Knowledge Master. University of Hawaii.

The life cycle of the fly is up to 21 days. It lays eggs in the leaf epidermis of host plants. Larvae hatch within four days. They are yellow or green and have three instars. It emerges from the pupa as an adult, a gray fly with black and yellow spots.

The American serpentine leafminer (Liriomyza trifolii) is a closely related species, and Liriomyza huidobrensis is also known as the serpentine leafminer.{{cite web |url=http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/30956 |title=Liriomyza huidobrensis (serpentine leafminer) |author= |date=23 May 2016 |publisher=CABI |accessdate=9 July 2017}} Another member of the genus, Liriomyza commelinae occurs widely in the neotropics and pupates within the mine. It feeds mainly on plants within the genus Commelina.