Ophiomyia beckeri (Hendel, 1923)
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Melanagromyza beckeri Hendel, 1923b. Konowia 2: 145.
Melanagromyza euphorbiae Hendel, 1923b. Konowia 2: 145. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1966: 48]
Melanagromyza beckeri Hendel, 1923b; Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 161.
Melanagromyza goniaea Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 165. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1966: 48]
Ophiomyia beckeri (Hendel, 1923b); Spencer, 1964a. Beitr. Ent. 14: 782.
Melanagromyza goniaea Hendel, 1931; Spencer, 1966. Beitr. Ent. 16: 48.
Ophiomyia beckeri (Hendel, 1923b); Spencer, 1972. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 20, 21, 25, 114, 115.
Ophiomyia beckeri (Hendel, 1923b); Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 60-61, figs 58-9.
Ophiomyia beckeri (Hendel, 1923b); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 259, 260 (fig. 974), 261.


Leaf-mine: A white mine along mid-rib, with offshoots into leaf blade. Pupation internal at base of mid-rib.

In Asteraceae the larva mostly lives as a borer in the midrib of the leaves. From there short corridors are made into the blade. Also a corridor can be made overlying the midrib. In Euphorbia a small mine is made in the bracts of the inflorescence. The final mine strongly resembles the one of Liriomyza strigata, but the branches are vritually free from frass; this is acccumulated in the resting place of the larva, in the base of the midrib. There also pupation takes place (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Forms a mine along the midrib and has feeding spurs into the leaf. Pupation is in the mine at the base of the midrib (British leafminers).

Larva: The larva is described by de Meijere (1943) and illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa. Antererior spiracles each with 7 bulbs; posterior spiracles each with 10-12 bulbs (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Puparium: Whitish; posterior spiracles on a short stalk, each with 10-12 bulbs. The puparium is illustrated in British leafminers and Bladmineerders van Europa.

Ophiomyia beckeri puparium, dorsal
Ophiomyia beckeri puparium, dorsal
Image: Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Comments: Leontodon autumnalis is treated as Scorzoneroides autumnalis (Autumn Hawkbit)and Picris echioides is treated as Helminthotheca echioides (Bristly Oxtongue) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Britain:

Asteraceae      
Cicerbita      
Cicerbita     Robbins, 1991: 123
Leontodon     British leafminers
Leontodon     Robbins, 1991: 123
Leontodon     Spencer, 1972: 114
Sonchus     Robbins, 1991: 123
Sonchus asper Prickly Sow-thistle Mines in BMNH
Sonchus oleraceus Smooth Sow-thistle British leafminers
Sonchus oleraceus Smooth Sow-thistle Mines in BMNH
Sonchus oleraceus Smooth Sow-thistle Robbins, 1989: 20
Sonchus oleraceus Smooth Sow-thistle Spencer, 1972: 115
Taraxacum officinale Dandelion British leafminers
Taraxacum officinale Dandelion Spencer, 1972: 115

Hosts elsewhere:

Asteraceae      
Centaurea boissieri subsp. paui   Bladmineerders van Europa
Coreopsis biennis   Bladmineerders van Europa
Crepis     Spencer, 1976: 60
Crepis     Spencer, 1990: 259
Crepis capillaris Smooth Hawk's-beard

Bladmineerders van Europa, as Crepis virens

Hypochaeris     Spencer, 1976: 60
Hypochaeris radicata Cat's-ear Bladmineerders van Europa
Lactuca serriola Prickly Lettuce Bladmineerders van Europa
Lactuca tenerrima   Bladmineerders van Europa
Lapsana communis Nipplewort Bladmineerders van Europa
Launaea     Spencer, 1990: 259
Launaea     Bladmineerders van Europa
Leontodon     Spencer, 1976: 60
Leontodon     Spencer, 1990: 259
Leontodon autumnalis Autumn Hawkbit Bladmineerders van Europa
Mycelis muralis Wall Lettuce Bladmineerders van Europa
Mycelis muralis Wall Lettuce

Bladmineerders van Europa, as Lactuca muralis

Picris     Spencer, 1976: 60
Picris echioides Bristly Oxtongue Bladmineerders van Europa
Reichardia picroides Common brighteyes Bladmineerders van Europa
Sonchus     Spencer, 1976: 60
Sonchus     Spencer, 1990: 259
Sonchus asper Prickly Sow-thistle Bladmineerders van Europa
Sonchus oleraceus Smooth Sow-thistle Bladmineerders van Europa
Taraxacum     Spencer, 1976: 60
Taraxacum     Spencer, 1990: 259
Taraxacum officinale Dandelion Bladmineerders van Europa
Urospermum picroides  

Bladmineerders van Europa

Brassicaceae      
Lepidium draba Hoary Cress Bladmineerders van Europa
Sisymbrium irio London-rocket Bladmineerders van Europa
Euphorbiaceae      
Euphorbia helioscopia Sun Spurge Bladmineerders van Europa
Euphorbia serrata   Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: July-August.

Time of year - adults: May.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in south but not common. Kent (Sandwich), Essex (Thames Marshes), Oxfordshire (Bagley Wood), Dorest (Portland Studland), Somerset (Berrow), Glamorgan (Portcawl) (Spencer, 1972: 60); Warwickshire (Coventry) (Robbins, 1991: 123); Cambridgeshire and Glamorgan (NBN Gateway - N.B. includes Watsonian Vice Counties having publicly available records that fall within or overlap the vice county border at 10km resolution or better i.e. a record for a vice county may relate to an adjacent vice county - for included datasets see NBN Grid map below).

Also recorded in Ireland (Spencer, 1972: 60).

NBN Grid map: Note that not all datasets on the NBN Gateway may be available on the map below. If you are an NBN Gateway registered user you can request access for missing datasets via the link 'Open interactive map in new window' below.

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark, Finland (Spencer, 1976: 60), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Belgium (Scheirs, de Bruyn and von Tschirnhaus, 1995), Austria, Balearic Is., Canary Is., Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Madeira, Poland, Sicily, Spanish mainland and Yugoslavia (Martinez in Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in South Africa and India (Spencer, 1976: 60).

NBN interactive distribution map(s) of known host species in Great Britain and Ireland and elsewhere:

Crepis capillaris, Euphorbia helioscopia, Hypochaeris radicata, Lactuca serriola, Lapsana communis, Leontodon autumnalis (= Scorzoneroides autumnalis), Lepidium draba, Mycelis muralis, Picris echioides (= Helminthotheca echioides), Sonchus asper, Sonchus oleraceus, Sisymbrium irio, Taraxacum officinale, Urospermum picroides

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Unknown.



External links: Search the internet:
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea [128670]
NBN Gateway
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Last updated 26-Jan-2012  Brian Pitkin Top of page