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

  

Liriomyza pisivora Hering, 1957
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Pea Leaf-miner

Liriomyza pisivora Hering, 1957. Bestimm. Blattminen Europa 3: 12
Liriomyza pisivora Hering, 1957a; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 56 (fig. 194), 58, 117
Liriomyza pisivora Hering, 1957a; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 112, 130 (fig. 478), 131.

Leaf-miner: A long linear mine, normally starting on lower surface, frass in black strips alternately at sides of mine (Spencer, 1972b: 58).

Long whitish corridor, almost always lower-surface at first, then becoming largely or totally upper-surface. Because lower- and upper-surface tracts often cross the leaf looks distinctly mottled whe held against the light. The final part of the corridor is generally upper-surface. The corridor often follows a thick vein for a considerable distance. Frass in alternating thread fragments. Pupation outside the mine (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.

Posterior spiracles each with 7 bulbs (Spencer, 1972b: 58). The larva is illustrated in 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).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Fabaceae        
Lathyrus       Spencer, 1972b: 117
Lathyrus latifolius Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1983: 24
Pisum sativum Garden Pea   Mines in BMNH
Pisum sativum Garden Pea   Spencer, 1972b: 117
Vicia cracca Tufted Vetch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bland, 2001

Hosts elsewhere:

Fabaceae        
Lathyrus       Spencer, 1990: 131
Lathyrus latifolius Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Lathyrus niger Black Pea   Bladmineerders van Europa
Lathyrus odoratus Sweet Pea   Bladmineerders van Europa
Lathyrus pratensis Meadow Vetchling British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Lathyrus sylvestris Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Pisum       Spencer, 1990: 131, in Botanical Gardens)
Pisum sativum Garden Pea   Bladmineerders van Europa
Pisum sativum Garden Pea   Spencer, 1990: 131

Time of year - mines: July-August.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Kent (Hayes), Surrey (Chipstead), Hertfordshire (Potter's Bar) (Spencer, 1972b: 58) and Warwickshire (Robbins, 1983).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg (Bladmineerders van Europa), Corsica, Czech Republic, French mainland, Germany, Lithuania and Poland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Lathyrus latifolius, Lathyrus niger, Lathyrus odoratus, Lathyrus pratensis, Lathyrus sylvestris, Pisum sativum, Vicia cracca

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Dacnusa maculipes Thomson, 1895 Braconidae: Alysiinae

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
Find using Google Scholar
Find images using Google

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 Last updated 09-Jul-2019 Brian Pitkin Top of page