Phytomyza varipes [Diptera: Agromyzidae] in Leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects

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 varipes Macquart, 1835
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Phytomyza varipes Macquart, 1835. Hist. nat. Ins. Dipt. 2: 618
Phytomyza stylata Meigen, 1838. Systematische Beschreibung der bekannten europaischen zweiflugeligen Insekten. 7: 404
Phytomyza varipes Macquart, 1835; Hendel, 1935. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 495
Phytomyza varipes Macquart, 1835; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 75, 120
Phytomyza varipes Macquart, 1835; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 523-4, figs 916-7.
Phytomyza varipes Macquart, 1835; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 222, 228 (fig. 863), 229.

Seed-feeder: Larva feeding and pupating in seed-heads (Spencer, 1976: 524).

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.

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, flattened, shining (Spencer, 1976: 524).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Scrophulariaceae
Rhinanthus	minor	Yellow-rattle	Spencer, 1972b: 120
Rhinanthus	minor subsp. calcareus		Spencer, 1972b: 120

Hosts elsewhere:

Scrophulariaceae
Rhinanthus				Spencer, 1976: 524
Rhinanthus				Spencer, 1990: 222

Time of year - larvae: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: July-August.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Cambridge (Wicken Fen), Suffolk (Barton Mills), Is. of Lewis (Spencer, 1972b: 75), Inner Hebrides (Isle of Coll) (Bland, 1992); Cambridgeshire, East Suffolk, Glamorgan, North Somerset, South-west Yorkshire and West Suffolk (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Co. Clare (the Burren), nr. Dublin (Spencer, 1972b: 75).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Is., Finland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Sweden, The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea) and Iceland (Spencer, 1976: 524).

Also known from Canada (Nova Scotia) (Spencer, 1976: 524).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Rhinanthus minor

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea
Seladerma geniculatum (Zetterstedt, 1838)	Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae


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


	Last updated 21-Jun-2017 Brian Pitkin