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

Phytomyza scolopendri Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851. Rev. Mag. Zool. (2) 3: 402
Phytomyza scolopendri Goureau, 1851. Annls Soc. ent. Fr. (2) 9: 139 [as scolopendri R.-D.]
Phytomyza scolopendri Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851; Hendel, 1935. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 474
Phytomyza scolopendri Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851; Collart, 1953. Bulletin et Annales de la Societe royale belge d'Entomologie 89: PAGE
Phytomyza scolopendri Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 73, 109
Phytomyza scolopendri Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 493-4, figs. 864.
Chromatomyia scolopendri (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 5, 6, 8, 12 (fig. 30), 13, 403, 405.
Phytomyza scolopendri Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851; Winkler et al. 2009. Syst. ent. 34: 260-292.

Leaf-miner: 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, 1972b).

Corridor, with the frass in an almost uninterrupted line along one 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 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 Dempewolf (2001: 208).

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).

'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 Great Britain and Ireland: Asplenium ruta-muraria (Wall-rue), Phyllitis scolopendrium (= Asplenium scolopendrium)(Hartstongue), Polypodium vulgare (Common Polypody)

Aspleniaceae        
Asplenium       Robbins, 1991: 20
Asplenium ceterach Rustyback   Robbins, 1991: 20
Asplenium ruta-muraria Wall-rue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Asplenium ruta-muraria Wall-rue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 109
Asplenium ruta-muraria Wall-rue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's-toungue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bland, 1989: 44
Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's-toungue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's-toungue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 109
Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's-toungue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Polypodiaceae        
Polypodium       Robbins, 1991: 21
Polypodium vulgare Polypody British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Polypodium vulgare Polypody British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b
Polypodium vulgare Polypody British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers

Hosts elsewhere:

Aspleniaceae        
Asplenium       Spencer, 1990: 6
Asplenium ruta-muraria Wall-rue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 494
Asplenium ruta-muraria Wall-rue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Dempewolf, 2001: 208
Asplenium ruta-muraria Wall-rue   Bladmineerders van Europa
Asplenium septentrionale Forked Spleenwort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's-tongue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's-toungue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 494
Asplenium ceterach Rustyback   Bladmineerders van Europa
Polypodiaceae        
Polypodium vulgare Polypody British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 494
Polypodium vulgare Polypody British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Polypodium vulgare Polypody British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1990: 5

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, 1972b: 73), Hampshire (Storth, Cumbria) (British leafminers), Warwickshire (Rowington) (Robbins, 1991: 20), Berwickshire (Douglas Dean) (Bland, 1989: 44); Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, East Gloucestershire, East Sutherland, Glamorgan, Main Argyll, Monmouthshire, North Somersett, South Devon, South Somerset, West Gloucestershire, West Lancashire and Westmorland (NBN Atlas).

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

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 (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Asplenium ruta-muraria, Ceterach officinarum (= Asplenium ceterach), Phyllitis scolopendrium (= Asplenium scolopendrium), Polypodium vulgare

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Chorebus punctum (Goureau, 1851) 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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