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 nigrociliata Hendel, 1931
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Agromyza nigrociliata Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg.6 (2): 139
Agromyza nigrociliata Hendel, 1931; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 10, 32 (fig. 82), 33, 122, 124, 126
Agromyza nigrociliata Hendel, 1931; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 129-130, figs 224-5.
Agromyza nigrociliata Hendel, 1931; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 356, 359, 360 (fig. 1345).


Mine of Agromyza nigrociliata on Arrhenatherum elatius. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Bladmineerders van Europa)
Mine of Agromyza nigrociliata on Arrhenatherum elatius
Image: © Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Leaf-miner: The young larva first feeds towards the apex of the leaf, later turning and feeding downwards. Several larvae can occur together in a single leaf. Pupation external (Spencer, 1976: 130).

Upper-surface, greenish, gradually widening corridor, at first running towards the leaf tip, then reverses. Through fusion of several mines the final mine is often communal. Frass in backish green grains, often washed out. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

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 larva is described by de Meijere (1925), Hering (1953), Darvas and Papp (1985) and Darvas, Skuhravá and Andersen (2000).

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 (Spencer, 1976: 130). The puparium is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Agromyza nigrociliata puparium
Agromyza nigrociliata puparium
Image: © Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Comments: A potentially serious pest on cereals.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Poaceae        
Arrhenatherum elatius False Oat-grass British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 122
Dactylis       Robbins, 1991: 136
Elymus       Pitkin & Plant
Elymus caninus Bearded Couch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 122
Hordeum murinum Wall Barley British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 124
Phalaris       Robbins, 1991: 136
Phalaris arundinacea Reed Canary-grass British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1989: 19
Secale cereale Rye   Spencer, 1972b: 124
Triticum aestivum Bread Wheat   Spencer, 1972b: 125

Hosts elsewhere:

Poaceae        
Apera spica-venti Loose Silky-bent   Spencer, 1976: 130
Apera spica-venti Loose Silky-bent   Bladmineerders van Europa
Arrhenatherum elatius False Oat-grass British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 130
Arrhenatherum elatius False Oat-grass British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Avena       Bladmineerders van Europa
Avenula versicolor     Bladmineerders van Europa
Dactylis glomerata Cock's-foot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Elymus caninus Bearded Couch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 130
Elymus caninus   British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al.

Bladmineerders van Europa, as Roegneria

Elymus repens Common Couch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Elytrigia       Spencer, 1990: 356, as Agropyron
Hordeum       Spencer, 1990: 356
Hordeum murinum Wall Barley British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 130
Hordeum murinum Wall Barley British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Phalaris arundinacea Reed Canary-grass British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Secale       Spencer, 1990: 356
Secale cereale Rye   Spencer, 1976: 130
Secale cereale Rye   Bladmineerders van Europa
Triticum aestivum Bread Wheat   Spencer, 1976: 130
Triticum aestivum Bread Wheat   Spencer, 1990: 356
Triticum aestivum Bread Wheat   Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: June (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Time of year - adults: June-July.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including London (Hampstead), Surrey (Colley Hill, Epsom and Kew), Cornwall (Carbis Bay) (Spencer, 1972: 33), Midlothian (Morningside and Braiud Burn), Fife (Aberdour), Haddington (Aberlady), Dunbartonshire (Bonhill) (Bland, 1994c: 81), Warwickshire (Hartshill) (Robbins, 1991: 136), Cambridgeshire, Easterness, Elgin, Glamorgan, North Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, South-west Yorkshire, Surrey, West Norfolk and West Sussex (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark and Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 130), Belgium (Bladmineerders van Europa), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 546), Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Estonia, French mainland, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland and Switzerland (Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in the East Palaearctic (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Apera spica-venti, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Elymus caninus, Elymus repens, Hordeum murinum, Phalaris arundinacea, Secale cereale, Triticum aestivum

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Chorebus eros (Nixon, 1937) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Chorebus thisbe (Nixon, 1937) Braconidae: Alysiinae


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