• HOME
• About
  • Acknowledgements
  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Morphology
  • Recent Changes
• Checklists
• Genus Index
• Species Index
• Keys
  • By Host Plant Genus
  • By Host Plant Common Name
  • To Liromyza species in Glasshouse and/or Quarantine Interceptions
• Parasitoids
• References
• Resources
• Search

Leaf-miner: Mine beginning with small spiral, followed by a linear section to the margin of the leaf where a dark blotch is formed. Pupation internal (Spencer, 1972b: 86 (fig. 292), 90; Spencer, 1976: 464, 465 (fig. 813)).

Essentially a corridor mine. It begins as a tiny upper-surface spiral. The corridor at this point is so narrow and closely wound that it rather resembles a simple spot. Next follows a simple corridor running towards the leaf tip, often following the leaf margin for some distance. In the leaf apex a quite long corridor is made, while the mine is laid in loops that are so close that a secondary blotch results, with prominent secondary feeding lines. The final section of the mine again is a simple corridor, in the end of which pupation takes place. Before pupating the larva already has made a semicircular slit in the epidermis. Not infrequently the puparium falls out (Hering, 1957) - see Bladmineerders van Europa.

The initial mine is a small spiral. The mine then follows the edge of the leaf and a dark blotch is formed. Pupation is within 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 Nowakowski (1959).

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).

Yellowish; posterior spiracles each with 13-17 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 464).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Lamiaceae
Origanum				Robbins, 1991: 100
Origanum	vulgare	Wild Marjoram		Mines in BMNH
Origanum	vulgare	Wild Marjoram		Spencer, 1972b: 117
Origanum	vulgare	Wild Marjoram		Bland, 1994c: 83
Origanum	vulgare	Wild Marjoram		British leafminers

Hosts elsewhere:

Lamiaceae
Origanum	vulgare	Wild Marjoram		Spencer, 1976: 464
Origanum	vulgare	Wild Marjoram		Spencer, 1990: 205
Origanum	vulgare	Wild Marjoram		Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: June-July, October.

Time of year - adults: October and spring the following year.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread at least in south. Kent (Otford), Surrey (Box Hill), Somerset (Cheddar), Derby (Miller's Dale) (Spencer, 1972b: 90), East Perth (Kinnoull Hill), Fife (Aberdour - vacated mines) (Bland, 1994c: 83); North Somerset (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Fauna Europaea).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark (Spencer, 1976: 464), The Netherlands, Germany (Bladmineerders van Europa), Belgium, Estonia, ? French mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Madeira, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Spanish mainland and Sweden (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: