ALISMA. Water-plantains. [Alismataceae]


Three species of Alisma are recorded in Britain - Ribbon-leaved Water-plantain (A. gramineum), Narrow-leaved Water-plantain (A. lanceolatum) and Water-plantain (A. plantago-aquatica). All are native species.

Ribbon-leaved Water-plantain is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Four Diptera miners, the ephydrids Hydrellia flavicornis, ? Hydrellia griseola, Hydrellia meigeni and Hydrellia mutata, are recorded on Alisma in Britain.

Elsewhere, in addition to the above ephydrids, the polyphagous agromyzid Liriomyza bryoniae is recorded mining Alisma.

Only one non-Diptera leaf-miner, Bagous alismatis, is recorded on Alisma in Britain and elsewhere (see below).

A key to the European miners, based on characteristics of the mines, immature stages and where relevant the larval cases, recorded on Alisma is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes Bagous alismatis, Liriomyza bryoniae, Hydrellia albiceps, Hydrellia concolor, Hydrellia flavicornis, Hydrellia mutata and Hydrellia viridescens but not Hydrellia meigeni.

N.B. The key to mines below includes mines recorded on Alisma, Damasonium and Sagittaria (Alismataceae).




Key for the identification of the mines of British Diptera recorded on
Alisma, Damasonium and Sagittaria




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).

1# > Leaf-miner: Details of mine unknown.

On Alisma. In England and Europe.

Hydrellia flavicornis (Fallén, 1823) [Diptera: Ephydridae].

1# > Leaf-miner: Details of mine unknown.

On Alisma and Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum in Britain or elsewhere (record provenances ambiguous). Recorded in South Hants in Britain. Widespread in continental Europe.

Hydrellia meigeni Zatwarnicki, 1988 [Ephydridae].

1# > Leaf-miner: Details of mine unknown.

On ? Alisma, ? Hydrocharis, ? Stratiotes and ? Lemna (record provenances ambiguous). England and Europe.

Hydrellia mutata (Zetterstedt, 1846) [Diptera: Ephydridae].

1 > Leaf-miner: Irregular mine, locally shallow, elsewhere much deeper, giving it a mottled appearance. In broadleaved plants the mine often begins as a blotch with stellate extensions, but sometimes as a very fine, shallow corridor. In grasses the mine often begins in the leaf sheath. The frass is very fine-grained, initially scattered, later in aggregates.

Mine of Hydrellia griseola on Glyceria fluitans. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Bladmineerders van Europa)
Mine of Hydrellia griseola on Glyceria fluitans
Image: Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

On ? Alisma, ? Damasonium, ? Sagittaria, ? Bellis, ? Rorippa, Tropaeolum , ? Lychnis, ? Stellaria, ? Carex, ? Cyperus, ? Scirpus, ? Hydrocharis, ? Stratiotes, ? Lamium, ? Lemna, ? Allium, Arrhenatherum, ? Polygonum, ? Potamogeton, ? Veronica, ? Typha in Britain and ? Alisma, ? Damasonium, ? Sagittaria, ? Bellis, ? Rorippa, Tropaeolum, Lychnis, ? Stellaria, Carex, ? Scirpus, Trifolium, ? Hydrocharis, Lamium, ? Lemna, Allium, Papaver, Agrostis, Alopecurus, Apera, Arrhenatherum, Avena, Avenula, Brachypodium, Briza, Bromus, Calamagrostis, Dactylis, Desmazeria, Digitaria, Echinochloa, Eleusine, Elymus, Festuca, Gaudinia, Glyceria, Holcus, Hordeum, Lagurus, Lolium, Panicum, Phalaris, Phleum, Phragmites, Poa, Secale, Setaria, Triticum, ? Polygonum, ? Potamogeton, Veronica, ? Typha and Verbena elsewhere. Widespread in England. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in the Palaearctic region. Also recorded from Nearctic and Australasian Regions.

Hydrellia griseola (Fallén, 1813) [Diptera: Ephydridae].



Key for the identification of the mines of British non-Diptera recorded on
Alisma

 

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).

 

1 > Leaf-miner: The mine starts with a broad corridor. Later a broad blotch, not determined by heavy veins. The mine is full depth and very transparent. The colour in the end is reddish-brown, making mined plants very conspicuous, even from a distance. Frass irregular. Often several larvae in a mine (Bladmineerders van Europa). Larva without abdominal legs.

Recorded on Alisma plantago-aquatica in Britain plus Luronium natans and Sagittaria sagittifolia elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland.

Bagous alismatis (Marsham, 1802) [Coleoptera: Curculionidae ]



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