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.

The mine begins somewhere in the leaf, generally at the lower surface, not far from the leaf margin. From there a corridor runs randomly, until it hits upon a vein. The corridor then follows this vein until it reaches the midrib. Then the larva starts to bore into the midrib, and may descend into the petiole or even the stem. Pupation may take place either within or outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

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:

Hosts elsewhere:

Time of year - mines: May-June (Hering, 1957).

Time of year - adults: Unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Warwickshire (Coventry and Corley) (Robbins, 1991: 30); Dunbarton (Bonhill) and E. Lothian (Spencer, 1972: 75); Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Glamorgan, Pembrokeshire, Surrey, West Norfolk and West Suffolk (NBN Gateway - N.B. includes Watsonian Vice Counties having publicly available records that fall within or overlap the vice county border at 10km resolution or better i.e. a record for a vice county may relate to an adjacent vice county - for included datasets see NBN Grid map below).

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

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.

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 490), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Belgium (Scheirs, de Bruyn and 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).

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

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: