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AMARANTHUS. Pigweeds. [Amaranthaceae]

Thirty-three species of Amaranthus are recorded in Britain, all of them introduced. They include White Pigweed (A. albus), Prostrate Pigweed (A. blitoides), Guernsey Pigweed (A. blitum), Indehiscent Amaranth (A. bouchonii), Cape Pigweed (A. capensis), Love-lies-bleeding (A. caudatus), Purple Amaranth (A. cruentus), Perennial Pigweed (A. deflexus), Short-petalled Pigweed (A. graecizans), Green Amaranth (A. hybridus), Prince's-feather (A. hypochondriacus), Dioecious Amaranth (A. palmeri), Powell's Amaranth (A. powellii), Mucronate Amaranth (A. quitensis), Common Amaranth (A. retroflexus), Indehiscent Pigweed (A. standleyanus) and Thunberg's Pigweed (A. thunbergii). Only one dipterous miner, the drosophilid Scaptomyza graminum, is recorded on Amaranthus, but it is unclear whether this record is British. The agromyzids Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza sativae and Liriomyza trifolii, polyphagous pest species of ornamental and vegetable crops occasionally intercepted at UK points of entry, are recorded on Amaranthus. Liriomyza huidobrensis and Liriomyza trifolii have been found under glass in England and Wales. All populations have been and continue to be eradicated. Elsewhere, in addition to the drosophilid Scaptomyza graminum, the agromyzids Amauromyza chenopodivora, Liriomyza bryoniae, Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza sativae, Liriomyza strigata and Liriomyza trifolii and the anthomyiid Delia echinata are recorded mining Amaranthus. No non-dipterous miners are recorded on Amaranthus in Britain. Elsewhere two British non-dipterous miners are recorded on Amaranthus (see below).

Key for the identification of the known Diptera mines in Britain.

1> Corridor-blotch mine. Mine begins as a normally upper surface deep corridor and becomes a blotch lying centrally in the leaf, often touching the leaf petiole, if leaves are small larva may mine across the stem to another leaf. Frass partly in grains or streaks but mainly in clumps towards margins of blotch. Pupation internal or external, sometimes in a separate pupation mine. Scaptomyza graminum (Fallén) [Drosophilidae].

British non-dipterous miners recorded on Amaranthus elsewhere Chrysoesthia drurella (Fabricius, 1775) Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae Chrysoesthia sexguttella (Thunberg, 1794) Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae

Last updated 21-Mar-2008  Brian Pitkin

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