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, 1972. 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.

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:

Brassicaceae      
Brassica     Robbins, 1991: 30
Brassica     Spencer, 1972: 115
Brassica napus Rape Robbins, 1989: 26
Brassica oleracea Wild Cabbage

Robbins, 1989: 26

Hosts elsewhere:

Brassicaceae      
Alliaria     Hering, 1957
Alliaria     Spencer, 1990: 85
Alliaria petiolata Garlic Mustard Bladmineerders van Europa
Armoracia rusticana Horse-Radish Bladmineerders van Europa
Brassica     Hering, 1957
Brassica     Spencer, 1973a
Brassica     Spencer, 1976: 490
Brassica     Spencer, 1990: 85
Brassica napus Rape Bladmineerders van Europa
Brassica oleracea Wild Cabbage Bladmineerders van Europa
Cerinthe     Hering, 1957
Conringia     Hering, 1957
Conringia     Spencer, 1990: 85
Diplotaxis     Bladmineerders van Europa
Diplotaxis     Hering, 1957
Diplotaxis     Spencer, 1990: 85
Moricandia     Hering, 1957
Moricandia     Spencer, 1990: 85
Peltaria     Hering, 1957
Peltaria     Spencer, 1990: 86
Raphanus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Raphanus     Hering, 1957
Raphanus     Spencer, 1990: 86
Rorippa     Hering, 1957
Rorippa     Bladmineerders van Europa
Sinapis     Hering, 1957
Sinapis     Spencer, 1990: 86
Sinapis arvensis Charlock Bladmineerders van Europa
Sisymbrium     Hering, 1957

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:

Alliaria petiolata, Armoracia rusticana, Brassica napus, Brassica oleracea, Sinapis arvensis

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Halticoptera smaragdina (Curtis, 1832) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Miscogaster hortensis Walker, 1833 Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Pachyneuron muscarum (Linnaeus, 1758) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Stenomalina gracilis (Walker, 1934) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
Sphegigaster pallicornis (Spinola, 1808) Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae
   


External links: Search the internet:
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea [127837]
NBN Gateway
Find using Google
Find using Google Scholar
Find images using Google


Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional
Last updated 26-Jan-2012  Brian Pitkin Top of page