Agromyza frontella (Rondani, 1875)
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Alfalfa blotch miner


Domomyza frontella Rondani, 1875. Bull. Soc. ent. ital. 7: 174.
Domomyza frontella Rondani, 1875; Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 120.
Agromyza frontella (Rondani, 1875); Spencer, 1972. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 37 (fig 114A), 41, 117.
Agromyza frontella (Rondani, 1875); Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 110-111, figs 173-179.
Agromyza frontella (Rondani, 1875); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 112, 133, 134 (figs 492-3).


Leaf-mine: Initially a linear mine running towards apex of leaf which then turns back and develops into a blotch in the area of the mid-rib (Spencer, 1972: 37, fig. 114A; Spencer, 1976: 110, fig. 177).

Upper-surface corridor along the leaf margin, running from the leaf base to the tip. Once at the tip the corridor goes down over the midrib, widening considerably. Frass in the corridor part in a broad green central band, with minute black particles at either side. In the final, blotchy part frass in coarse black grains that may sometimes stick together. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Larva: The larva is described by de Meijere (1925) and Dempewolf (2001).

Puparium: Reddish-brown; posterior spiracles each have 3 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 110).

Comments: Medicago sativa subsp. varia is treated as Medicago sativa nothossp. varia (Sand Lucerne) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Britain:

Fabaceae      
Medicago     Robbins, 1991: 43
Medicago sativa Lucerne Mines in BMNH
Medicago sativa Lucerne Spencer, 1972: 117
Melilotus     Robbins, 1991: 43
Trifolium pratense Red Clover Rob Edmunds (pers. com.)

Hosts elsewhere:

Fabaceae      
Medicago     Spencer, 1976: 110
Medicago     Spencer, 1990: 112
Medicago     Dempewolf, 2001: 55
Medicago carstiensis   Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago lupulina Black Medick Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago sativa Lucerne Spencer, 1976: 110
Medicago sativa Lucerne Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago sativa subsp. falcata Sickle Medick Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago sativa subsp. varia Sand Lucerne Bladmineerders van Europa
Melilotus     Spencer, 1976: 110
Melilotus     Spencer, 1990: 112
Melilotus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium dubium Lesser Trefoil Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: June, August-September. There are at least two generations between June and September.

Time of year - adults: Unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Essex (Rainham and Colchester), Kent (Otford), Surrey (Godalming) (Spencer, 1972: 41) and Warwickshire (Keresley) (Robbins, 1991: 43). Cambridgeshire, Glamorgan and Pembrokeshire (NBN Gateway - N.B. includes Watsonian Vice Counties having publicly available records that fall within or overlap the vice county border at 10km resolution or better i.e. a record for a vice county may relate to an adjacent vice county - for included datasets see NBN Grid map below).

NBN Grid map: Note that not all datasets on the NBN Gateway may be available on the map below. If you are an NBN Gateway registered user you can request access for missing datasets via the link 'Open interactive map in new window' below.

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in Europe, including Denmark (Spencer, 1976: 110), The Netherlands, Germany (Bladmineerders van Europa), Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, European Turkey, French mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland and Yugoslavia (Martinez in Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in the Near East (Martinez in Fauna Europaea) and North America (Spencer, 1976: 110).

NBN interactive distribution map(s) of known host species in Great Britain and Ireland and elsewhere:

Medicago lupulina, Medicago sativa, Medicago sativa subsp. falcata, Medicago sativa subsp. varia

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chrysocharis liriomyzae Delucchi, 1954 Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Chrysocharis nitetis (Walker, 1939) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Chrysocharis orbicularis (Nees, 1834) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Cirrospilus vittatus Walker, 1838 Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Diglyphus isaea (Walker, 1838) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Pnigalio pectinicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Pnigalio soemius (Walker, 1839) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Cyrtogaster vulgaris Walker, 1833 Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Gastrancistrus affinis Graham, 1969 Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Halticoptera aenea (Walker, 1833) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Halticoptera circulus (Walker, 1833) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Miscogaster hortensis Walker, 1833 Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Miscogaster maculata Walker, 1833 Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae


External links: Search the internet:

Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea [128859]
NBN Gateway

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Last updated 19-Jan-2012  Brian Pitkin Top of page