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

 

Chromatomyia lonicerae (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851)
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Phytomyza lonicerae Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851. Rev. Mag. Zool. (2) 3: 396
Phytomyza (Napomyza) harlemensis Weyenburgh, 1870. Tijdschr. Ent. 13: 196
Phytomyza xylostei Kaltenbach, 1862. Verh. naturh. Ver. preuss. Rheinl. 19: 93
Phytomyza soenderupiana Rydén, 1958. Opusc. ent. 21: 172. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1976: 441]
Phytomyza harlemensis Weyenburgh, 1870. Tijdschr. Ent. 13: 196
Phytomyza harlemensis Weyenburgh, 1870; Spencer, 1969b. Beitr. Ent. 19 (1-2): 19
Phytomyza harlemensis Weyenburgh, 1870; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 97
Phytomyza lonicerae Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 441-3, figs 769-772A
Chromatomyia lonicerae (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 238, 240, 241 (figs 904-5).
Phytomyza lonicerae Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851; Winkler et al. 2009. Syst. ent. 34: 260-292.


Leaf-miner: Mine an irregular stellate blotch with a later linear section. Pupation internal; firmly glued within the mine by frass (Spencer, 1976: 443).

The mine begins with a few lower-surface corridors, radiating from one centre that is not associated with the midrib; the corridors are very shallow and not easy to observe. Subsequently some (rarely only one) upper-surface, rather long and often branched corridors are formed from the same centre. Frass mostly at one side, in pearl chains. Pupation within the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

An upper surface gallery with a star-shaped start. Frass in pearl-strings (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 larva is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Chromatomyia lonicerae larva,  lateral
Chromatomyia lonicerae larva, lateral
Image: © Willem Ellis (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).

Yellowish or reddish brown; posterior spiracles are elongate, with up to 24 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 443). The anterior spiracles of the puparium penetrate the plant epidermis (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Caprifoliaceae        
Lonicera       Robbins, 1991: 107
Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 97, 110
Symphoricarpos       Robbins, 1991: 106
Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry   Mines in BMNH, as Symphoricarpos rivularis
Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry   British leafminers, as Symphoricarpos rivularis
Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry   Spencer, 1972b: 97, 110, as Symphoricarpos rivularis

Hosts elsewhere:

Caprifoliaceae        
Lonicera       Spencer, 1976: 442
Lonicera       Spencer, 1990: 238
Lonicera alpigena Alpine Honeysuckle   Bladmineerders van Europa
Lonicera caprifolium Perfoliate Honeysuckle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Lonicera nigra     Bladmineerders van Europa
Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Lonicera tatarica Tartarian Honeysuckle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Lonicera xylosteum Fly Honeysuckle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Symphoricarpos       Spencer, 1990: 238
Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry   Bladmineerders van Europa
Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry   Spencer, 1976: 442, as Symphoricarpos rivularis

Time of year - mines: May-August, November.

Time of year - adults: July-August. Single generation.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Inner Hebrides (Isle of Coll) (Bland, 1992); Warwickshire (Coventry) (Robbins, 1991: 107); Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, East Gloucestershire, East Norfolk, East Ross, East Sussex, East Sutherland, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Herefordshire, Kirkudbrightshire, Main Argyll, Merionethshire, Mid-west Yorkshire, Montgomeryshire, North Ebudes, North Somerset, Outer Hebrodes, Pembrokeshire, Shropshire, South Lancashire, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, Surrey, West Gloucestershire, West Lancashire, West Ross and Westmorland (NBN Atlas).

Mines from Sutherland (Golspie) (Spencer, 1972b) may refer to Aulagromyza hendeliana or to Chromatomyia lonicerae.

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Fauna Europaea).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in much of Europe, including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 441), The Netherlands, Luxembourg (Bladmineerders van Europa), Belgium (de Bruyn and von Tschirnhaus, 1991), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 574), Austria, Corsica, Czech Republic, French mainland, Italian mainland, Lithuania and Poland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Lonicera caprifolium, Lonicera periclymenum, Lonicera tatarica, Lonicera xylosteum, Symphoricarpos albus

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea   
Chrysocharis liriomyzae Delucchi, 1954 Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis nitetis (Walker, 1939) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis pentheus (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis pubicornis (Zetterstedt, 1838) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis viridis (Nees, 1934) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Cirrospilus diallus Walker, 1838 Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Cirrospilus vittatus Walker, 1838 Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Diglyphus minoeus (Walker, 1838) Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Miscogaster maculata Walker, 1833 Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae
Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Chorebus flavipes (Goureau, 1851) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Chorebus sylvestris Griffiths, 1967 Braconidae: Alysiinae
Coloneura stylata Förster, 1862 Braconidae: Alysiinae
Dacnusa maculipes Thomson, 1895 Braconidae: Alysiinae
Dapsilarthra sylvia (Haliday, 1839) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Grammospila rufiventris (Nees, 1812) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Colastes braconius Haliday, 1833 Braconidae: Exothecinae
Apodesmia similis (Szépligeti, 1898) Braconidae: Opiinae
Opius gracilis Fischer, 1957 Braconidae: Opiinae
Opius propodealis Fischer, 1958 Braconidae: Opiinae
Phaedrotoma heringi (Fischer, 1962) Braconidae: Opiinae


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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