Mine of Phytomyza autumnalis on Centaurea nigra (Spencer Collection) Image: Brian Pitkin

Leaf-mine: Mine long, distinctly greenish. Pupation in mine (Spencer, 1972: 88).

Branched, upper-surface corridor, with very irregular sides. Frass in isolared grains, maximally only 4 times their diameeter apart. Pupation within the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Larva: Posterior spiracles with 19-25 bulbs on long horns with bases that are wide and touching each other (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Puparium: White in early generations and black and shiny in autumn (Spencer, 1976: 504), posterior spiracles each with 20-25 bulbs (Griffiths, 1959: 103).

Opaque, metallic black, in a pupal chamber (Griffiths, 1959a); the anterior spiracles penetrate the epidermis (Hering, 1957a) (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Comments: Spencer (1972b: 88) suggested that the miner on Centaurea may be distinct from that on Cirsium even though the male genitalia appear to be identical.

Hosts in Britain:

Hosts elsewhere:

Time of year - mines: October-November (Spencer, 1990).

Time of year - adults: Unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Common and widespread (Spencer, 1972: 88) including Warwickshire (Robbins, 1991: 122).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Co. Tipperary (Tipperary) (Spencer, 1972: 88).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Germany (Bladmineerders van Europa), Republic of Moldova and Poland (Martinez in Fauna Europaea).

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.

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

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Unknown.

Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea [127512]
NBN Gateway