|
AEGOPODIUM. Ground-elder. [Apiaceae] |
|
The introduced Ground-elder (A. podagraria) is the only species of Aegopodium recorded in Britain. Three Diptera miners, the agromyzids Phytomyza angelicae, Phytomyza angelicastri and Phytomyza obscurella, are recorded on Aegopodium in Britain. Elsewhere the agromyzids Phytomyza angelicae, Phytomyza angelicastri, Phytomyza aquilegiae, Phytomyza chaerophylli, Phytomyza obscurella and the tephritids Cryptaciura rotundiventris and Euleia heraclei are recorded mining Aegopodium. No non-Diptera miners are recorded on Aegopodium in Britain. Elsewhere two British non-Diptera miners, Cnephasia incertana and Epermenia chaerophyllella, are recorded on Aegopodium (see below). A key to the European miners, based on characteristics of the mines, immature stages and where relevant the larval cases, recorded on Aegopodium is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes Cnephasia incertana, Cnephasia asseclana, Cnephasia stephensiana, Epermenia chaerophyllella, Cryptaciura rotundiventris, Euleia heraclei, Phytomyza aegopodii, Phytomyza angelicastri, Phytomyza obscurella, Phytomyza podagrariae, Phytomyza pubicornis, but not Phytomyza angelicae or Phytomyza aquilegiae. The agromyzid Phytomyza chaerophylli is also included in the European key to mines on Aegopodium but Aegopodium is not listed as a host plant in the account of the species (Bladmineerders van Europa). |
|
|
Note: Diptera larvae may live in a corridor mine, a corridor-blotch mine, or a blotch mine, but never in a case, a rolled or folded leaf, a tentiform mine or sandwiched between two more or less circular leaf sections in later instars. Pupation never in a cocoon. All mining Diptera larvae 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 larvae lie on their sides within the mine and use their pick-like mouthparts to feed on plant tissue. In some corridor miners frass may lie in two rows on alternate sides of the mine. In order to vacate the mine the fully grown larva cuts an exit slit, which is usually semi-circular (see Liriomyza huidobrensis video). The pupa is 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). 1a > Leaf-miner: Larva forms an upper surface primary blotch with several larvae feeding together; the blotch is greenish when fresh but becomes yellowish with age (Spencer, 1972: 78 (fig. 257); Spencer, 1976: 376, 377 (fig. 655)). Round or oval blotch, green at first, later yellowish. Young mine are interparenchymatous, only the older mines are truly full depth. Generally several larvae in a communal mine. Pupation outside the mine. Exit slit in lower epidermis (Bladmineerders van Europa). A conspicuous, yellowish, almost circular upper surface blotch. Normally several mines on a leaf which may run together giving the impression of a single mine (British leafminers).
Phytomyza angelicae Kaltenbach, 1872 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. 1b > Leaf-miner: Linear mine which may become a blotch. 2a > Leaf-miner: An irregular upper surface linear mine, which can widen and become almost blotch like at end. Puparium black
Phytomyza angelicastri Hering, 1923 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. 2b > Leaf-miner: Mine irregularly linear, whitish-green normally adjoining margin of leaf, when old brownish. Puparium shining black
Phytomyza obscurella Fallén, 1823 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. |
|
Key for the identification of the mines of British non-Diptera recorded on
|
|
Note: The larvae of mining Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera may live in a corridor mine, a corridor-blotch mine, a blotch mine, a case, a rolled or folded leaf, a tentiform mine or sandwiched between two more or less circular leaf sections in later instars. Larva may pupate in a silk cocoon. The larva may have at least six legs (although they may be reduced or absent), a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles (see video of a gracillarid larva feeding). Larvae of Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera usually also have abdominal legs (see examples). Frass, if present, never in two rows. Unless feeding externally from within a case the larva usually vacates the mine by chewing an exit hole. Pupa with visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).
|
|
|
1a > Leaf-miner: In the first instar the larva mines the leaves, forming short, irregular, blotch-like mines, but in later instars it lives externally, feeding in spun leaves and often twisting those of tender shoots. Larval head light-brown or yellowish brown, edged with black postero-laterally, ocellar area blackish; prothoracic plate black edged with whitish anteriorly; abdomen dull dark green; pinacula distinct, black, sometimes brownish but with black bases to setae; anal plate large, black (Bradley et al., 1973). Small, full depth mine without a definite shape; little frass. Some silk is deposited in the mine. The larva soon leaves the mine and continues feeding among spun leaves (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Cnephasia incertana (Treitschke, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]
|
|
|
1b > Leaf-miner: The larvae are often gregarious and feed on the underside of the leaf causing a 'windowing' effect as they eat the mesophyll and lower epidermis. This effect can be seen from the top of the leaf as it discolours (British leafminers). Short, small, irregular, sometimes widened corridor. Mostly a number in a leaf, concentrated in the axils of the midrib and the primary side veins. Each larva makes a number of mines. Often the larva protrudes with its rear end out of the mine, causing most frass to be ejected. While moving, at the leaf underside, silken threads are produced, in wich grains of frass may be trapped. Older larvae live free and cause window feeding, often in a group under a light spinning (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Epermenia chaerophyllella (Goeze, 1783) [Lepidoptera: Epermeniidae] |
| Last updated 03-Feb-2012 Brian Pitkin |  |
|