The leaf and stem  mines of British flies and other insects by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds


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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, 1972b. 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, 1972b: 37, fig. 114A; Spencer, 1976: 110, fig. 177;).

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

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

Hosts in Britain:

Fabaceae      
Medicago     Robbins, 1991: 43
Medicago sativa Lucerne Mines in BMNH
Medicago sativa Lucerne Spencer, 1972b: 117
Melilotus     Robbins, 1991: 43

Hosts elsewhere:

Fabaceae      
Medicago     Spencer, 1976: 110
Medicago     Spencer, 1990: 112
Medicago   Dempewolf, 2001: 55
Medicago lupulina Black Medick Nederlandse bladmineerders
Medicago sativa Lucerne Spencer, 1976: 110
Medicago sativa Lucerne Nederlandse bladmineerders
Melilotus     Spencer, 1976: 110
Melilotus     Spencer, 1990: 112
Melilotus     Nederlandse bladmineerders
Trifolium     Nederlandse bladmineerders

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

Time of year - adults: Unknown.

Distribution in Britain: Essex (Rainham and Colchester), Kent (Otford), Surrey (Godalming) (Spencer, 1972b: 41) and Warwick (Keresley) (Robbins, 1991: 43).

Distribution elsewhere: Holarctic. Europe, including Denmark (Spencer, 1976: 110), The Netherlands, Germany (Nederlandse bladmineerders), 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).

Parasitoids:

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) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Pnigalio pectinicornis (Linnaeus) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Pnigalio soemius (Walker) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Cyrtogaster vulgaris Walker Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Gastrancistrus affinis Graham Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Halticoptera aenea (Walker) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Halticoptera circulus (Walker) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Miscogaster hortensis Walker Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae


External links: Search the internet:

British leafminers
NBN Gateway
Nederlandse bladmineerders
Fauna Europaea [128859]

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Last updated 16-Aug-2008  Brian Pitkin