The leaf and stem  mines of British flies and other insects by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds.


HOME : Introduction : Methods : Miners : Parasitoids
Host plants by Scientific name : Host plants by Common name
References : Web resources : Acknowledgements : Recent changes : Index : Search


Liriomyza bryoniae (Kaltenbach, 1858)
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Tomato Leaf-miner


Agromyza bryoniae Kaltenbach, 1858. Verh. naturh. Ver. preuss. Rheinl. 15: 158.
Liriomyza sonchi Hering, 1927c. Z. angew. Ent. 13: 181.
Liriomyza solani Hering, 1927c. Z. angew. Ent. 13 : 181.
Liriomyza mercurialis Hering, 1932a. Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Insektenbiologie 26: 165.
Liriomyza citruli Rohdendorf, 1950. Ent. Obozr. 31: 82.
Liriomyza bryoniae (Kaltenbach, 1858); Spencer, 1972. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 52.
Liriomyza bryoniae (Kaltenbach, 1858); Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 233-4, figs 396-401.
Liriomyza bryoniae (Kaltenbach, 1858); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 47, 62-3, 69, 78- 80 (figs 289-92), 85-86, 93, 111, 113, 148, 155, 158-60, 169, 180, & more
Liriomyza bryoniae (Kaltenbach, 1858); Bland, 1997a. Dipterists Digest 4(1): 50.


Leaf-mine: A short, irregular, linear upper surface mine on any part of the leaf. Also recorded from young pods (Bland, 1997a).

Long corridor mine. As a rule the first part of the mine is lower-surface, the later part upper-surface. Often the loops are so dense that a secondary blotch is the result. Because upper- and lower-surface corridor segments often cross, the mine obtains a strange array of transparant patches. There is no association with the midrib. Frass in strings and thread fragments. Pupation outside the mine; exit slit in upper epidermis (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Mines of Liromyza bryoniae on Tomato. Image: Crown copyright - courtesy of CSL
Mines of Liromyza bryoniae on Tomato
Image: Crown copyright - courtesy of CSL

Larva: The larva is described by Dempewolf (2001: 148).

Puparium: Pale yellowish-brown; posterior spiracles each with an ellipse of 7-12 bulbs.

Comments: A highly polyphagous species principally mining Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae, although recorded on hosts in numerous other plant families. A pest of tomatoes in glasshouses. A significant pest on several genera of cultivated cucurbits in Europe, but rarely found on its original host Bryonia (Spencer, 1990). Hosts cited here include 119 plant genera in 31 plant families of which only 4 plant genera in 2 plant families are records in Britain.

A serious pest in the Mediterranean area of tomatoes and has been recorded as a pest of tomatoes in glasshouses in England, The Netherlands and Denmark. In France tomatoes, melon, cucumber and lettuce have been attacked (Spencer, 1973a).

In Northern Ireland Liriomyza bryoniae is a notifiable pest species. If you suspect the presence of this species, please contact the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (tel: 01904 455174, e-mail: planthealth.infodefra.gsi.gov.uk). However, in order to be certain of its identity, the male genitalia should be critically examined. Diagnostic protocols may be found at www.csl.gov.uk/specialInterest/liriomyza.pdf. See also Collins (1996).

Bland (1997a) records mines of bryoniae in young seed pods of Pisum sativum - mangetout purchased in Scotland - which, from enquiries he made, suggested came from southern France.

Minkenberg & Lenteren (1986) review the hosts and parasites of Liriomyza bryoniae.

Arabis glabra is treated as Turritis glabra (Tower Mustard) and Lycopersicon esculentum is treated as Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Britain:

Asteraceae      
Dahlia pinnata Dahlia Pitkin & Plant
Hydrocotyle     Pitkin & Plant
Cucurbitaceae      
Cucumis sativus Cucumber Spencer, 1972: 116
Fabaceae      
Phaseolus     Pitkin & Plant
Lupinus     Pitkin & Plant
Lamiaceae      
Galeopsis     Pitkin & Plant
Scrophulariaceae      
Linaria     Pitkin & Plant
Solanaceae      
Atropa belladonna Deadly Nightshade Mines in BMNH
Atropa belladonna Deadly Nightshade Spencer, 1972: 120
Lycopersicon esculentum Tomato Mines in BMNH
Lycopersicon esculentum Tomato Spencer, 1972: 120
Solanum villosum Red Nightshade Mines in BMNH

Hosts elsewhere: Alismataceae, Amaranthaceae, Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Basellaceae, Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Gentianaceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Lamiaceae, Loasaceae, Malvaceae, Oxalidaceae, Pedaliaceae, Piperaceae, Plantaginaceae, Polemoniaceae, Primulaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae, Valerianaceae and Verbenaceae.

Time of year - mines: April, August-September.

Time of year - adults: Unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain & Ireland: Local, probably introduced. Surrey (Kew Gardens), Herts (Cheshunt), Sussex (Worthing) (Spencer, 1972: 52), Channel Is. (Martinez in Fauna Europaea). As far north as East York in glasshouses where tomato, pepper and less often, cucumber are grown (Dom Collins, pers. comm.).

NBN Grid map:

No map.

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in Europe particularly in Botanical Gardens and glasshouses. France, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 234), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Belgium (de Bruyn & von Tschirnhaus, 1991), Germany (Dempewolf (2001: 148), Albania, the Ukraine and the Caucasus (Spencer, 1976: 234), Lithuania (Ostrauskas, Pakalniskis & Taluntyte, 2003), Austria, Azores, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corsica, Crete, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, European Turkey, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Malta, Republic of Moldova, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Sicily, Slovenia, Spanish mainland and Yugoslavia (Martinez in Fauna Europaea).

Also known in Egypt (Spencer, 1976: 234).

NBN interactive distribution maps of known host species in Britain and elsewhere:

Alisma plantago-aquatica, Alliaria petiolata, Antirrhinum majus, Anthyllis vulneraria, Apium graveolens, Arabis glabra (= Turritis glabra), Amoracia rusticana, Atropa belladonna, Barbarea vulgaris, Beta vulgaris, Bryonia cretica, Capsicum annuum, Chenopodium botrys, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Callistephus chinensis, Centaurea nigra, Centranthus ruber, Chorispora tenella, Cirsium arvense, Citrullus lanatus, Coriandrum sativum, Coronilla emerus, Coronilla scorpioides, Cucumis melo, Cucumis sativus, Cucurbita pepo, Cymbalaria muralis, Dahlia pinnata, Datura stramonium, Galega officinalis, Galeopsis tetrahit, Galinsoga parviflora, Gypsophila paniculata, Hesperis matronalis, Hibiscus trionum, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Hyoscyamus niger, Kickxia elatine, Kickxia spuria, Lactuca sativa, Lagenaria siceraria, Lathyrus japonicus, Lathyrus niger, Lathyrus tuberosus, Lathyrus vernus, Lavatera olbia, Lens culinaris, Linaria purpurea, Linaria vulgaris, Levisticum officinale, Lupinus angustifolius, Lupinus luteus, Lupinus nootkatensis, Lupinus polyphyllus, Lycium barbarum, Lycium chinense, Lycopersicon esculentum (= Solanum lycopersicum), Malva neglecta, Medicago scutellata, Melilotus albus, Melilotus indicus, Melilotus officinalis, Mercurialis annua, Nicandra physalodes, Nicotiana alata, Nicotiana x sanderae, Nicotiana tabacum, Ononis spinosa, Oxytropis campestris, Oxalis acetosella, Petunia axillaris x hybrida, Phaseolus coccineus, Phaseolus vulgaris,Physalis alkekengi, Physalis peruviana, Pisum sativum, Plantago afra, Plantago arenaria, Plantago major, Primula auricula, Raphanus sativus, Ricinus communis, Scrophularia nodosa, Sedum telephium, Sedum spectabile, Sinapis alba, Sisymbrium irio, Sisymbrium officinale, Solanum dulcamara, Solanum villosum, Solanum nigrum, Solanum tuberosum, Sonchus asper, Spinacia oleracea, Stellaria media, Trifolium hybridum, Trifolium incarnatum, Trifolium ochroleucon, Trifolium pannonicum, Trigonella caerulea, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Tropaeolum majus, Tropaeolum peregrinum, Verbascum blattaria, Verbascum creticum, Verbascum densiflorum, Verbascum phlomoides, Vicia benghalensis, Vicia faba, Vicia narbonensis, Vicia villosa

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: .

Chrysocharis pentheus (Walker, 1839) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Chrysocharis pubicornis (Zetterstedt, 1838) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Diglyphus isaea (Walker, 1838) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Diglyphus minoeus (Walker, 1838) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Pediobius metallicus (Nees, 1834) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Cyrtogaster vulgaris Walker, 1833 Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Halticoptera circulus (Walker, 1833) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae

Adult:.

Wing of Liriomyza bryoniae


External links: Search the internet:

British leafminers
Fauna Europaea [128074]
NBN Gateway
Bladmineerders van Europa

Find using Google
Find using Google Scholar
Find images using Google

Top of page

Last updated 06-Aug-2010  Brian Pitkin