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

 

Ophiomyia longilingua (Hendel, 1920)
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Melanagromyza longilingua Hendel, 1920. Arch. Naturgesch. 84A(7) (1918): 127
Melanagromyza knautiae Hering, 1944a. Mitt. dt. ent. Ges. 12: 56. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1966a: 50]
Ophiomyia longilingua Hendel, 1920; Spencer, 1966. Beitr. Ent. 16: 50
Ophiomyia longilingua (Hendel, 1920); Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 108
Ophiomyia longilingua (Hendel, 1920); Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 69, figs 81-2
Ophiomyia longilingua (Hendel, 1920); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 243 (fig. 912), 243, 244.


Stem-miner: Reddish stem mine with a mass of black frass at the end of mine. Pupation external (Spencer, 1976: 69).

Larva: The larvae of flies are leg-less maggots without a head capsule (see examples). They nevegh 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: 29).

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-grey. Posterior spiracles each with 7 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 68).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Lamiaceae        
Clinopodium       Robbins, 1991: 100
Clinopodium vulgare Wild Basil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1989
Clinopodium vulgare Wild Basil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer 1972: 116
Galeopsis       Robbins, 1991: 103
Galeopsis tetrahit Common Hemp-nettle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Lamium album White Dead-nettle   Robbins, 1991: 102
Lamium album White Dead-nettle   Spencer, 1972b: 116
Lamium rubrum     Spencer, 1972b: 116
Stachys       Robbins, 1991: 101
Stachys palustris Marsh Woundwort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Stachys palustris Marsh Woundwort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 117
Stachys sylvatica Hedge Woundwort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bland, 1994c: 81
Stachys sylvatica Hedge Woundwort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 117

Hosts elsewhere:

Lamiaceae        
Calamintha       Spencer, 1976: 68
Galeopsis       Spencer, 1976: 68
Lamium       Spencer, 1976: 68
Nepeta       Spencer, 1990: 205
Prunella       Spencer, 1990: 205
Satureja       Spencer, 1990: 205
Stachys       Spencer, 1976: 68

Time of year - mines: August-September.

Time of year - adults: May the following year.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Surrey (Box Hill), Oxfordshire (Bagley Wood), Huntingdonshire (Woodditton Fen), Suffolk (Barton Mills) (Spencer, 1972b: 29), Perthshire (Falls of Fender and Keltneyburn) (Bland, 1994c: 81) and Warwickshire (Whateley Lane) (Robbins, 1991: 102); Cambridgeshire (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe from England to Bulgaria, including Finland and Norway (Spencer, 1976: 68), Czech Republic, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia (Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded from the East Palaearctic (Fauna Europaea) and Canada (Spencer, 1969a: 87) and the U.S.A. (Spencer, 1976: 68).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Clinopodium vulgare, Galeopsis tetrahit, Lamium album, Lamium rubrum, Stachys palustris, Stachys sylvatica

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Chorebus fuscipennis (Nixon, 1937) 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
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