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 luzulae (Hering, 1924)
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Phytomyza luzulae Hering, 1924b. Z. Morph. ôkol. Tiere. 2: 240
Phytomyza luzulae Hering, 1924b; Hendel, 1935. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 425
Phytomyza luzulae Hering, 1924b; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 95
Phytomyza luzulae Hering, 1924b; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 443-4, figs 773-774A.
Chromatomyia luzulae (Hering, 1924b); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 345, 346 (fig. 1309), 351.
Phytomyza luzulae Hering, 1924b; Winkler et al. 2009. Syst. ent. 34: 260-292.

Leaf-miner: Mine beginning on lower surface but main section on upper surface, brownish; mine long, linear. Pupation in mine at base of leaf (Spencer, 1972b: 95).

Brownish, elongated, corridor-like blotch, beginning at the lower surface but later becoming upper-surface. Frass in numerous small grains, not more than 2 mm apart. Pupation within the mine, generally near the base of the leaf (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 larvae lie on their sides within the mine and use their pick-like mouthparts to feed on plant tissue.

Larva and puparium are described by Hering (1924b), de Meijere (1926a), and Griffiths (1980a). Posterior spiracles with 18-25 small globular bulbs (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; posterior spiracles each having two distinct arms and a total of some 20 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 443).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Juncaceae        
Luzula pilosa Hairy Wood-rush British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 125

Hosts elsewhere:

Juncaceae        
Luzula pilosa Hairy Wood-rush British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 443
Luzula pilosa Hairy Wood-rush British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1990: 345
Luzula pilosa Hairy Wood-rush British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: September-April, hibernating in the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Local. Oxford (Oxford) (Spencer, 1972b: 95).

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

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe from England to Poland including southern Finland (Spencer, 1990: 345), Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 443), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 574), Austria, Belgium, Corsica, Czech Republic, Denmark, French mainland, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Norwegian mainland and Poland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Luzula pilosa

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Chorebus luzulae Griffiths, 1966 Braconidae: Alysiinae
Apodesmia posticatae (Fischer, 1957) 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		 Find using Google
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