Leaf-mine: Larva forms a long greenish linear mine, frequently following a vein; mines can be up to 10 cm long. Pupation internal; anterior spiracles projecting through the leaf epidermis (Spencer, 1972).

Corridor, with the frass in an almost uninterrupted line along the side. In small leaves the corridor often follows the margin, but when space is not limited, like in Hart's-tongue Fern, it curves smoothly, not infrequently running over the midrib for some distance. Pupation mostly within the mine; the anterior spiracles then penetrate the epidermis (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Forms a long narrow mine (up to 10cms). It is normally greenish and upper surface (British leafminers).

Larva: The larva is described by Dempewolf (2001: 208).

Puparium: 'Slipper-shaped', whitish-yellow with minute black spiracles; posterior spiracles each with an ellipse of 9 bulbs.

Comments: Ceterach officinarum is treated as Asplenium ceterach (Rustyback) and Phyllitis scolopendrium is treated as Asplenium scolopendrium (Hart's-tongue) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Britain:

Hosts elsewhere:

Time of year - mines: May-September.

Time of year - adults: May.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Gloucestershire (Wye Valley) (British leafminers), Somerset (Cheddar), Devon (Hope), Cornwall (Hayle), Westmorland (Ambleside) (Spencer, 1972: 73), Hampshire (Storth, Cumbria) (British leafminers), Warwickshire (Rowington) (Robbins, 1991: 20), Berwickshire (Douglas Dean) (Bland, 1989: 44) and East Gloucestershire, East Sussex, East Sutherland, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, South Devon, South Somerset, West Gloucestershire, West Lancaster, Westmorland and Worcestershire (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).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Co. Kerry (Killarney) (Spencer, 1972: 73).

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: Widespread in much of Europe including Denmark (Spencer, 1976: 494), Belgium (Collart, 1953: 237-238; de Bruyn and von Tschirnhaus, 1991), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 578; Dempewolf, 2001: 208), European Turkey, French mainland, Italian mainland, Poland and Spanish mainland (Martinez in Fauna Europaea).

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 [128346]
NBN Gateway