Day 314: I had to be careful how I said this... (shothole)

I was doing a lesson on decomposers for grades 1-4 so I was doing my best to make this virtual program engaging and interesting.

The oak shothole leafminer, Japanagromyza viridula, is a very small fly that emerges in early spring to feed on oak leaf buds and very young leaves. ... The holes get bigger (up to 3/8 inch) as the leaves grow. Females eventually pierce leaves to lay eggs inside. Tiny maggots hatch and excavate blotch mines as they mature.

This was just one tiny portion of my hour long program ...

[Milanie]

This is fascinating to know. Bet they found it interesting, too, and are now looking at all the leaves for one like this!

[JeannieC57]

@milaniet I am writing an entire article for the paper on these little flies. I have always seen this damage every year to the leaves and never realized what caused it. Now we both know.