Leaf miner feeding in between layers of an oak leaf. The larva feeds on the green plant cells but not on the top and bottom layers of the leaf. This "envelope" provides protection from threats such as some parasitoids and predators. The top layer of the plant is nearly transparent with a "cobblestone" texture. The open mandibles of the larva are seen at the lower tip of the dark-brown head. They move in scissors-like fashion to chew away at the cells. The mine starts off very narrow but increases as the larva grows and consumes a wider path of cells
