Agromyza flaviceps [Diptera: Agromyzidae] in Leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects

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

Agromyza flaviceps Fallén, 1823
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Agromyza flaviceps Fallén, 1823a. Agromizides Sveciae : 6
Agromyza flaviceps Fallén, 1823a; Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 116
Agromyza flaviceps Fallén, 1823a; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 31, 36, 38, 110
Agromyza flaviceps Fallén, 1823a; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 108-9, figs 169-70.
Agromyza flaviceps Fallén, 1823a; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 53, 55, 56 (fig. 203).

Leaf-miner: Larva forming a long, irregular linear mine, conspicuously widening at end but not developing into a blotch; frass in diffused central green band; older mines appear whitish with little evidence of frass (Spencer, 1972b: 36, fig. 104).

Upper-surface corridor, widening to the end, but never becoming a primary blotch, and only rarely a secondary one. Sides irregularly eaten out. No association with the leaf venation. Frass in a diffuse, central, green band. After a shower or two most of the frass is washed out and the mines appear white. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

A long upper surface gallery widening towards the end. Greenish, diffused frass. (British leafminers).

Larva: The larvae of flies are leg-less maggots without a head capsule (see examples). They never have thoracic or abdominal legs. They do not have chewing mouthparts, although they do have a characteristic cephalo-pharyngeal skeleton (see examples), usually visible internally through the body wall.

The bright yellow larva is described by de Meijere (1925) and illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Puparium: The puparia of flies are formed within the hardened last larval skin or puparium and as a result sheaths enclosing head appendages, wings and legs are not visible externally (see examples).

Reddish-brown; posterior spiracles each with 3 bulbs on short conical projections (Spencer, 1976: 108).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Cannabiaceae
Humulus			Robbins, 1991: 71
Humulus	lupulus	Hop	Mines in BMNH
Humulus	lupulus	Hop	British leafminers
Humulus	lupulus	Hop	Spencer, 1972b: 110

Hosts elsewhere:

Cannabiaceae
Humulus			Spencer, 1990: 53
Humulus	lupulus	Hop	Spencer, 1976: 108
Humulus	lupulus	Hop	Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: June-July, September-October.

Time of year - adults: May.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including London (Hampstead), Surrey (Godalming), Essex (Broxbourne), Suffolk (Chillesford), Norfolk (Norwich), Denbighshire (Cefn-y-bedd) (Spencer, 1972b: 110) and Warwickshire (Coventry) (Robbins, 1991: 71). East Sussex, Shropshire and West Kent (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark, Finland, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 108), The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg (Bladmineerders van Europa), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 546), Czech Republic, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Poland and Slovakia (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Humulus lupulus

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea
Chrysocharis pentheus (Walker, 1839)	Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Pnigalio soemius (Walker, 1839)	Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available
Bracon epitriptus Marshall, 1885	Braconidae: Braconinae


External links:	Search the internet:
Biodiversity Heritage Library Bladmineerders van Europa British leafminers Encyclopedia of Life Fauna Europaea NBN Atlas NHM UK Checklist	Find using Google Find using Google Scholar Find images using Google


	Last updated 07-Oct-2019 Brian Pitkin