The leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects
 

(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera)

by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds

  

Orthochaetes insignis (Aube, 1863)
[Coleoptera : Curculionidae]

Styphlus insignis Aube, 1863
Orthochaetes insignis (Aube, 1863)

Leaf-miner: Rather narrow corridor, untidy and sometimes branched, starting from the base of the leaf, in particular the midrib. Sides of the corridor irregularly eaten out, not really parallel. Frass mostly present, and then in a central line. The larva is capable of leaving the mine and start a new one elsewhere. These later mines are much broader, and the frass is scattered irregularly (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Mine of Orthochaetes insignis on Prunella vulgaris
Mine of Orthochaetes insignis on Prunella vulgaris
Image: © Jean-Yves Baugnée (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Larva: The larvae of beetles have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles and lack abdominal legs.

The larvae are legless. (see Keys in Bladmineerders van Europa).

Pupa: The pupae of beetles have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland: Currently unknown.

Hosts elsewhere:

Apiaceae        
Smyrnium olusatrum Alexanders British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Asteraceae        
Aster       Bladmineerders van Europa
Bellis perennis Daisy British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Carduus       Bladmineerders van Europa
Carlina       Bladmineerders van Europa
Cirsium pannonicum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Erigeron       Bladmineerders van Europa
Gnaphalium       Bladmineerders van Europa
Inula helenium Elecampane British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Lapsana communis Nipplewort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Leucanthemum x superbum Shasta Daisy British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa, as Chrysanthemum maximum
Senecio vulgaris Groundsel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Tanacetum       Bladmineerders van Europa
Boraginaceae        
Myosotis       Bladmineerders van Europa
Brassicaceae        
Teesdalia nudicaulis Shepherd's Cress British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Campanulaceae        
Campanula       Bladmineerders van Europa
Caryophyllaceae        
Cerastium       Bladmineerders van Europa
Silene       Bladmineerders van Europa
Crassulaceae        
Umbilicus       Bladmineerders van Europa
Gentianaceae        
Centaurium       Bladmineerders van Europa
Geraniaceae        
Geranium nodosum Knotted Crane's-bill British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Lamiaceae        
Lamium       Bladmineerders van Europa
Prunella       Bladmineerders van Europa
Salvia       Bladmineerders van Europa
Orchidaceae        
Dactylorhiza       Bladmineerders van Europa
Orchis       Bladmineerders van Europa
Polygalaceae        
Polygala       Bladmineerders van Europa
Primulaceae        
Anagallis arvensis Scarlet Pimpernel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Primula elatior Oxlip British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Ranunculaceae        
Ranunculus repens Creeping Buttercup British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Scrophulariaceae        
Verbascum       Bladmineerders van Europa
Veronica       Bladmineerders van Europa
Valerianaceae        
Valerianella locusta Common Cornsalad British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Almost throughout the year (Hering, 1957).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Bedforshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Cheshire, Cumberland, Derbyshire, Dorset, Dumfireshire, East Cornwall, East Kent, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Glamorgan, Herefordshire, Kirkudbrightshire, Leicestershire, Merionethshire, Mid-west Yorkshire, Middlesex, Monmouthshire, Montgomeryshire, North Essex, North Devon, North Somerset, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamdshire, Pembrokeshire, Radnorshire, Shropshire, South Hampshire, South Lancashire, South Somerset, South Wiltshire, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Gloucestershire, West Kent, West Norfolk, West Suffolk, West Sussex, Westmorland and Worcestershire (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Fauna Europaea) and in Ireland (InvertebrateIreland Online).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe inlcuding Corsica, French mainland, Italian mainland, Portuguese mainland, Sardinia, Sicily, Spanish mainland. Also recorded in North Africa (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Anagallis arvensis, Bellis perennis, Geranium nodosum, Inula helenium, Lapsana communis, Leucanthemum x superbum, Primula elatior, Ranunculus repens, Senecio vulgaris, Smyrnium olusatrum, Teesdalia nudicaulis, Valerianella locusta

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.

External links: Search the internet:

Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life, as Styphlus insignis
Fauna Europaea
NBN Atlas
NHM UK Checklist

 Find using Google
Find using Google Scholar
Find images using Google

XHTML Validator Last updated 08-Jul-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page