Leaf-mine: Larval leaf-mine starts as a narrow channel running towards apex of leaf but later develops into a broad blotch running downwards. Frass largely diffused, giving the mine a characteristic greenish appearance. Pupation external (Spencer, 1976: 126).

Corridor, usually several in one leaf, running from close to the leaf base up to near the tip, then reversing direction and widening, resulting in one communal mine in which the larvae descend in a common front . Frass somewhat deliquescent, mine therefore strikingly green. Pupation outside the mine. Neither mine nor larva distinguishable from those of mobilis (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Larva: The larva is described by de Meijere (1925), Spencer (1966c: 288) and in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Puparium: Reddish-brown; posterior spiracular processes widely separated, each with 3 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 126, 127 (fig. 218)) and illustrated by d'Aguilar, Chambon and Touber (1976a) (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Comments: A potentially serious pest of wheat.

Hosts in Britain:

Hosts elsewhere:

Time of year - mines: One generation, in July (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Time of year - adults: August-September.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Essex (Flatford), London, Surrey (Chobham), Northumb (Wooler), Aberdeen (Braemar) and Dunbarton (Bonhill) (Spencer, 1972: 33), Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan, Huntingdonshire, North Hampshire, West Gloucestershire and West Suffolk (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: Common and widespread thoughout much of Europe including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 126), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 546), Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Yugoslavia (Martinez in Fauna Europaea). Also recorded in the U.S.A. (Spencer, 1990).

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

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Unknown.

Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea [128905]
NBN Gateway