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 rufipes Meigen, 1830
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Cabbage leaf miner


Phytomyza rufipes Meigen, 1830. Syst. Beschr. 6: 192.
Phytomza sulphuripes Meigen, 1830. Syst. Beschr. 6: 193.
Phytomyza rufipes Meigen, 1830; Hendel, 1935. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 471.
Phytomyza ruficornis Zetterstedt, 1848. Dipt. Scand. 7: 2825.
Phytomyza brassicae Hardy, 1853a. The Scottish Gardener 2(4):: 118-120. [Synonymised by Bland, 2000: 11]
Phytomyza femoralis Brischke, 1871. Schr. naturf. Ges. Danzig (N.F.) 5(1-2): 240.
Phytomyza bistrigata Strobl, 1906. Mems R. Soc. esp. Hist. nat. 3(1905): 384.
Phytomyza rufipes Meigen, 1830; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 10, 71, 75, 115.
Phytomyza rufipes Meigen, 1830; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 489-90, figs 859-60.
Phytomyza rufipes Meigen, 1830; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 85. 86, 88.
Phytomyza rufipes Meigen, 1830; Bland, 2000. Dipterists Digest 7: 11.


Leaf / Stem-mine: Oviposition takes place in the leaf blade where a short mine is formed until the larva reaches the nearest vein which is then followed downwards, with the main feeding occurring in the mid-rib, petiole, or in young plants, also in the stem (Spencer, 1976: 490). Pupation either internal or external.

Larva: Posterior spiracles of larva with 25-30 bulbs (Spencer, 1973a).

Puparium: Yellow (Spencer, 1973a).

Comments: A common pest of Brassica spp. in Europe (Spencer, 1990: 85-6).

Hosts in Britain:

Brassicaceae    
Brassica   Robbins, 1991: 30
Brassica spp. Spencer, 1972b: 115
Brassica napus Robbins, 1989: 26
Brassica oleracea

Robbins, 1989: 26

Hosts elsewhere:

Brassicaceae    
Alliaria   Hering, 1957a
Alliaria   Spencer, 1990: 85
Alliaria petiolata Nederlandse bladmineerders
Brassica   Hering, 1957a
Brassica   Spencer, 1973a
Brassica   Spencer, 1976: 490
Brassica   Spencer, 1990: 85
Brassica napus Nederlandse bladmineerders
Brassica oleracea Nederlandse bladmineerders
Cerinthe   Hering, 1957a
Conringia   Hering, 1957a
Conringia   Spencer, 1990: 85
Diplotaxis   Nederlandse bladmineerders
Diplotaxis   Hering, 1957a
Diplotaxis   Spencer, 1990: 85
Moricandia   Hering, 1957a
Moricandia   Spencer, 1990: 85
Peltaria   Hering, 1957a
Peltaria   Spencer, 1990: 86
Raphanus   Nederlandse bladmineerders
Raphanus   Hering, 1957a
Raphanus   Spencer, 1990: 86
Rorippa   Hering, 1957a
Sinapis   Hering, 1957a
Sinapis   Spencer, 1990: 86
Sinapis arvensis Nederlandse bladmineerders
Sisymbrium   Hering, 1957a

Time of year - mines: Unknown.

Time of year - adults: Unknown.

Distribution in Britain: Widespread. Warwick (Coventry and Corley) (Robbins, 1991: 30), also Dunbarton (Bonhill) and E. Lothian (Spencer, 1972b: 75).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Co. Mayo (Westport) (Spencer, 1972b: 75).

Distribution elsewhere: Holarctic. Europe including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 490), The Netherlands (Nederlandse bladmineerders), Belgium (Scheirs, de Bruyn & Verdyck, 1993), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 578), Canary Is., Czech Republic, Estonia, European Turkey, French mainland, Iceland, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Madeira, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Switzerland and Yugoslavia (Martinez in Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in Egypt, Canada and the U.S.A. (Spencer, 1976: 490).

Parasitoids:

Miscogaster hortensis Walker Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Pachyneuron muscarum (Linnaeus) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Sphegigaster pallicornis (Spinola) Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Halticoptera smaragdina (Curtis) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Stenomalina gracilis (Walker) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae


External links: Search the internet:

British leafminers
NBN Gateway
Nederlandse bladmineerders)
Fauna Europaea [127837]

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Last updated 01-Jul-2008  Brian Pitkin