The leaf and stem  mines of British flies and other insects by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds.


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Phytomyza obscurella Fallén, 1823
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]
.


Phytomyza obscurella Fallén, 1823b. Phytomyzides et Ochtidiae Sveciae : 4.
Phytomyza obscurella Fallén, 1823b; Hendel, 1935. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 443.
Phytomyza obscurella Fallén, 1823b; Spencer, 1972. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 69, 89 (figs 303-4), 92, 120.
Phytomyza obscurella Fallén, 1823b; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 461-2, figs 807-8.
Phytomyza obscurella Fallén, 1823b; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 159, 167, 168 (fig. 610).


Leaf-mine: Mine irregularly linear, whitish green normally adjoining margin of leaf, when old brownish (Spencer, 1972: 89 (fig. 304), 92; Spencer, 1976: 461, 463 (fig. 808).

An upper-surface, strongly widening corridor, often following the leaf margin for some distance, with much blackish green, deliquescent frass in its centre. Pupation outside the mine; exit slit in upper epidermis (Bladmineerders van Europa).

The mine is also described and illustrated in British leafminers.

Mine of Phytomyza obscurella on Aegopodium podagraria. Image: Brian Pitkin
Mine of Phytomyza obscurella on Aegopodium podagraria
Image: Brian Pitkin

Larva: The larva is described by de Meijere (1926), Allen (1957b) and Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Puparium: Shining black; posterior spiracles each with 24-28 bulbs of bulbs or bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 461).

Hosts in Britain:

Apiaceae      
Aegopodium     Robbins, 1991: 65
Aegopodium     British leafminers
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder British leafminers
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder Mines in BMNH
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder Spencer, 1972: 120
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder Bland, 1992

Hosts elsewhere:

Apiaceae      
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder Mines in BMNH
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder Spencer, 1976: 461
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder Bland, 1994
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder Spencer, 1990: 167
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: January, May-November.

Time of year - adults: August-October.

Distribution in Great Britain & Ireland: Common, at least in south (Spencer, 1972: 92). Inner Hebrides (Isle of Coll) (Bland, 1992), Rum (Bland in Whiteley, 1994), Warwick (Coventry and Tile Hill) (Robbins, 1991: 65), East Sutherland, Edinburgh and Surrey (NBN Gateway distribution map - HBRG, LWIC and NE).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Co. Wexford (Rosslare) (Spencer, 1972: 92).

NBN Grid map:

Distribution elsewhere: Europe including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 461), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 574), Belgium, Estonia, ? French mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Madeira, Poland and Spanish mainland (Martinez in Fauna Europaea).

Range extending eastwards to the northern Kirghiz Republic of the [former] U.S.S.R. (Spencer, 1976: 461).

NBN interactive distribution maps of known host species in Britain and elsewhere:

Aegopodium podagraria

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: .

Chrysocharis amyite (Walker, 1839) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Chrysocharis crassiscapus (Thomson, 1878) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Chrysocharis nitetis (Walker, 1939) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Chrysocharis pentheus (Walker, 1839) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Chrysocharis polyzo (Walker, 1839) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Chrysocharis viridis (Nees, 1934) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Cirrospilus vittatus Walker, 1838 Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Closterocerus trifasciatus Westwood, 1833 Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Necremnus leucarthros (Nees, 1834) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Pediobius metallicus (Nees, 1834) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Pnigalio pectinicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Pnigalio soemius (Walker, 1839) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Glyphonathus flammeus Delucchi Hymenoptera: Eulophidae


External links: Search the internet:

British leafminers
Fauna Europaea [127745]
NBN Gateway
Bladmineerders van Europa
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Last updated 10-Jul-2010  Brian Pitkin