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Phytomyza
aquilegiae Hardy, 1849 Columbine leaf miner Phytomyza
aquilegiae Hardy, 1849a. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (2)
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Leaf-miner: Larva forming a large primary blotch, sometimes several larvae feeding together with frass scattered irregularly throughout the mine; leaves often being largely destroyed and the plants suffering considerable damage (Spencer, 1976: 380, 381 (fig. 663A)). Striking, large, somewhat inflated, upper-surface, often purple-brown blotch without a preceding corridor. The mine is unusual because locally also the spongy mesophyl is eaten away, making the mine locally full depth and giving it a mottled appearance (right picture below). The mine begins in the centre of the leaf, or the base of a leaf segment (Griffiths, 1956b). The very first part of the mine differs in colour and structure; probably it is made by the larvae before its first ecdysis. Frass in very fine grains scattered over the floor of the mine. Pupation outside the mine. Exit slit in upper epidermis (Pakalniskis, 2004a) - see Bladmineerders van Europa. A large blotch is formed, sometimes by several larvae, on the upper surface of the leaf. Frass is found scattered throughout the mine (British leafminers). 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 de Meijere (1925) and 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). Dull brown, deeply segmented; posterior spiracles each with an ellipse of up to 20 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 380). Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:
Hosts elsewhere:
Time of year - mines: June-September. Time of year - adults: Currently unknown. Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Common in south particularly in gardens (Spencer, 1972b: 82) including Warwickshire (Coventry) (Robbins, 1991: 28); Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, East Ross, East Suffolk, Easterness, Glamorgan, Leicestershire, Merionethshire, North Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, South Essex, South Lancashire, South-west Yorkshire, Surrey and West Gloucestershire (NBN Atlas). Also recorded on Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris), 12 June 1985 at Castlecurragh, Co. Limerick, Ireland (H.C.J. Godfray). Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark, Finland, Norway (Spencer, 1976: 380), Belgium (de Bruyn and von Tschirnhaus, 1991), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Czech Republic, French mainland, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland (Fauna Europaea). Range extending eastwards to the Kirghiz and Kazakh Republics of the [former] U.S.S.R. (Spencer, 1976: 380). References to aquilegiae in North America have all proven inaccurate (Spencer, 1976: 380). NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:
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| Last updated 10-Jul-2019 Brian Pitkin |  |
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