Aquilegia [Ranunculaceae]

AQUILEGIA. Columbine. [Ranunculaceae]

Columbine (A. vulgaris) is the only native species of Aquilegia in Britain, although Pyrenean Columbine (A. pyrenaica) and two other species have been introduced.

Three Diptera miners, the agromyzids Ophiomyia aquilegiana, Phytomyza aquilegiae and Phytomyza minuscula are recorded on Aquilegia in Britain. Two of these miners are also recorded on Thalictrum in Britain.

The agromyzid Phytomyza krygeri is recorded feeding in the seed capsules of Aquilegia in Britain and elsewhere.

Elsewhere the agromyzids Phytomyza aquilegiae, Phytomyza minuscula, Ophiomyia aquilegiana and Liriomyza sativae are recorded mining Aquilegia.

No non-Diptera miners are recorded on Aquilegia in Britain.

Columbine
Aquilegia vulgaris

Elsewhere one British non-Diptera miner, Cnephasia incertana, is recorded on Aquilegia (see below).

A key to the European miners, based on characteristics of the mines, immature stages and where relevant the larval cases, recorded on Aquilegia is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes Cnephasia incertana, Cnephasia asseclana, Cnephasia stephensiana, Phytomyza minuscula and Phytomyza aquilegiae but not Liriomyza sativae or the stem-miner Ophiomyia aquilegiana.

Key for the identification of the mines of British Diptera recorded on
Aquilegia

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 > Stem-miner: Larva forms an external stem mine, with widely spaced grains of black frass. Pupation takes place at the end of the mine. Puparium black

On Aquilegia and Thalictrum in Britain and elsewhere. Recorded only from Hunts and Cambridge in Britain. Also in Germany, Sweden and Estonia.

Ophiomyia aquilegiana Lundquist [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

1b > Leaf-miner

2a > Leaf-miner: A short, irregular white linear mine, with frass in conspicuous black strips. Pupation external. Puparium reddish brown (orange), normally adhering to the leaf near the end of the mine until dislodged by rain or wind.

On Aquilegia and Thalictrum in Britain and elsewhere. Common and widespread throughout the Britain, particularly in gardens. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in much of Europe. Also recorded in the western U.S.A., the Himalayas and northern India.

Phytomyza minuscula Goureau, 1851 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

2b > Leaf-miner: A large primary blotch, sometimes several larvae feeding together with frass scattered irregularly throughout the mine; leaves often being largely destroyed and the plants suffering considerable damage. Puparium dull brown

On Aquilegia and Thalictrum in Britain and elsewhere. Common in southern Britain particularly in gardens. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland, Europe. Range extending eastwards to the Kirghiz and Kazakh Republics of the [former] U.S.S.R.

Phytomyza aquilegiae Hardy, 1849 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

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

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: 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).

Recorded on numerous genera and species of plant families, but not yet on Aquilegia, in Britain. Recorded on numerous genera and species of plant families including Aquilegia elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded from the Channel Is.

Cnephasia incertana (Treitschke, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]


	Last updated 03-Feb-2012 Brian Pitkin