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

  

Melanagromyza angeliciphaga Spencer, 1969
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Melanagromyza angeliciphaga Spencer, 1969c. Beitr. Ent. 19: 10
Melanagromyza angeliciphaga Spencer, 1969c; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 17, 18 (figs 26-7), 20, 120, 121
Melanagromyza angeliciphaga Spencer, 1969c; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 46-7, figs 26-7.
Melanagromyza angeliciphaga Spencer, 1969c; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 160, 162 (figs 583-5), 177, 178.

Stem-borer: Larva boring in stem. Pupation internal (Spencer, 1972b: 20).

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: 91).

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).

Whitish yellow or straw-coloured; posterior spiracular processes black, strongly chitinised, adjoining, each process with an ellipse of 16-18 bulbs around the strong central horn (Spencer, 1972: 18, fig. 27).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Apiaceae        
Angelica sylvestris Wild Angelica British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 120
Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 121
Pastinaca sativa Wild Parsnip British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 121

Hosts elsewhere:

Apiaceae        
Angelica       Spencer, 1990: 160
Angelica sylvestris Wild Angelica British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 47
Angelica sylvestris Wild Angelica British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Dempewolf, 2001: 91
Heracleum       Spencer, 1990: 160
Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 47
Pastinaca       Spencer, 1990: 160
Pastinaca sativa Wild Parsnip British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 47

Time of year - larvae: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in south. Surrey (Bookham and Box Hill), Middlesex (Scratch Wood), Buckinghamshire (Sarratt), Huntingdonshire (Woodwalton Fen), Glamorgan (Spencer, 1972b: 20); Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Glamorgan, North Hampshire, Surrey and West Gloucestershire (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Germany, Denmark (Spencer, 1976: 46), Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Angelica sylvestris, Heracleum sphondylium, Pastinaca sativa

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.

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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