The leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects
 

(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera)

by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds

 

Phytomyza tanaceti Hendel, 1923
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Phytomyza tanaceti Hendel, 1923a. Dt. ent. Z. 1923(4): 391
Phytomyza tanaceti Hendel, 1923a; Hendel, 1935. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 486
Phytomyza klimeschi Hering, 1943. EOS 19: 57. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1976: 511]
Phytomyza tanaceti Hendel, 1923a; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 72 (fig. 238), 79, 115
Phytomyza tanaceti Hendel, 1923a; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 511-2, fig. 896.
Phytomyza tanaceti Hendel, 1923a; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 301, 304 (fig. 1176), 306.


Leaf-miner: A linear mine, frequently on lower surface at beginning; frass with closely adjoining grains.

Upper-surface, often brownish, corridor, in the end often occupying the width of a leaf segment. Older segments of the mine are much less conspicuous, lower-surface and quite shallow. Where upper- and lower-surface stretches overlap transparent patches occur, when the leaf is illuminated from behind. Frass in isolated grains, sometimes locally pearl chains. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

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 by de Meijere (1926) and Hering (1967: 25). The posterior spiracles have 13-17 bulbs. The posterior spiracles are illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

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).

Black; posterior spiracles each with 15 bulbs.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Asteraceae        
Tanacetum       Robbins, 1991: 117
Tanacetum vulgare Tansy British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Tanacetum vulgare Tansy British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 115

Hosts elsewhere:

Asteraceae        
Achillea       Spencer, 1976: 511
Achillea       Spencer, 1990: 301
Achillea clavena     Bladmineerders van Europa
Achillea erba-rotta subsp. moschata     Bladmineerders van Europa
Achillea millefolium Yarrow British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Achillea millefolium Yarrow British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 511
Achillea ptarmica Sneezewort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Leucanthemum vulgare Oxeye Daisy British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Pyrethrum hybridum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Tanacetum       Spencer, 1990: 301
Tanacetum cinerariifolium Dalmatian Pyrethrum   Bladmineerders van Europa
Tanacetum corymbosum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Tanacetum macrophyllum Rayed Tansy   Bladmineerders van Europa
Tanacetum vulgare Tansy British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Tanacetum vulgare Tansy British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 511

Time of year - mines: July-September.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Probably widespread. Surrey (Horsley) (Spencer, 1972b: 79) and Warwickshire (Coventry) (Robbins, 1991: 117). South-west Yorkshire (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Co. Clare (the Burren) (Spencer, 1972b: 79).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 511), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 578), Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, French mainland, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Achillea millefolium, Achillea ptarmica, Leucanthemum vulgare, Tanacetum macrophyllum, Tanacetum vulgare

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea   
Chrysocharis pentheus (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis viridis (Nees, 1934) Eulophidae: Entedoninae


External links: Search the internet:
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea
NBN Atlas
NHM UK Checklist
Find using Google
Find using Google Scholar
Find images using Google


XHTML Validator
Last updated 09-Nov-2017 Brian Pitkin Top of page