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

  

Napomyza carotae Spencer, 1966
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Carrot mining fly

Napomyza carotae Spencer, 1966b. Proc. R. ent. Soc. Lond. (B) 35: 33
Napomyza carotae Spencer, 1966b; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 67
Napomyza carotae Spencer, 1966b; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 160, 163, 164 (figs 596-7), 169, 177, 178, 390
Napomyza carotae Spencer, 1966b; Henshaw, 2002. Dipterists Digest 9(2): 160.

Leaf-miner / Stem-borer: Oviposition as a rule in the stem, only occasionally in a leaf. In the latter case the larva makes an upper-surface corridor that ends in a thick vein. From there it descends, through petiole and stem, down to the root. Here the pupation takes place (Spencer, 1990: 163) - see also 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.

The larva is described Weissman (1961); posterior spiracles with approx. 20 bulbs.

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).

Comments: In larval transfer experiments in Switzerland (Weissman, 1961) found that the larvae developed normally in Apium, Heracleum, Pastinaca and Petroselinum.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Apiaceae        
Daucus carota Carrot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 121

Hosts elsewhere:

Apiaceae        
Anthriscus sylvestris Cow Parsley British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Daucus carota Carrot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Daucus carota Carrot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1990: 163

Time of year - larvae: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Norfolk (Jones, 1975).

Distribution elsewhere: Originally described from Holland and Switzerland (Spencer, 1966b) and widespread elsewhere in Europe including Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Spanish mainland, Sweden and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Anthriscus sylvestris, Daucus carota

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Chorebus glaber (Nixon, 1944) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Chorebus senilis (Nees, 1812) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Dacnusa pubescens (Curtis, 1926) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Phygadeuon punctiventris Thomson, 1884 Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae

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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