Leaf-mining insect on an oak leaf - but what is it?
A few days ago, I posted this photo of what I guessed was a fungus skeletonizing a leaf of Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia, Fagaceae) - but I wondered if it might be the work of a leaf-mining insect instead, and it is. I found another one of the blistered oak leaves today that was still intact. I opened it up and found the strange critter in my photo today that's been skeletonizing the leaf and leaving its dark frass (poop) - but what is it? I'm not even sure which end is which! My first thought was that it's a beetle larva, but a caterpillar seems more likely. It does look something like the leaf-miner caterpillar in this photo, at least it's got similar constrictions along its sides. That one mines leaves, but it makes tunnels rather than tents. One mystery solved but others remain! (San Marcos Pass, 12 March 2021)
Today started sunny and calm, a chance to dry out after two days of good soaking rain. Then clouds started to move in, and we had a few small showers. Then around 4:00 in the afternoon, all hell broke out - thunder, lightning, and hail the size of pea-gravel! It didn't last long, but it was an exciting half-hour - and we picked up an additional 1/2 inch of rain!
Leaf-mining insect on an oak leaf - but what is it?
A few days ago, I posted this photo of what I guessed was a fungus skeletonizing a leaf of Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia, Fagaceae) - but I wondered if it might be the work of a leaf-mining insect instead, and it is. I found another one of the blistered oak leaves today that was still intact. I opened it up and found the strange critter in my photo today that's been skeletonizing the leaf and leaving its dark frass (poop) - but what is it? I'm not even sure which end is which! My first thought was that it's a beetle larva, but a caterpillar seems more likely. It does look something like the leaf-miner caterpillar in this photo, at least it's got similar constrictions along its sides. That one mines leaves, but it makes tunnels rather than tents. One mystery solved but others remain! (San Marcos Pass, 12 March 2021)
Today started sunny and calm, a chance to dry out after two days of good soaking rain. Then clouds started to move in, and we had a few small showers. Then around 4:00 in the afternoon, all hell broke out - thunder, lightning, and hail the size of pea-gravel! It didn't last long, but it was an exciting half-hour - and we picked up an additional 1/2 inch of rain!