AREMONIA. Bastard Agrimony. [Rosaceae]

Only one species of Aremonia is recorded in Britain, the introduced Bastard Agrimony (A. agrimonioides).

No Diptera miners are recorded on Aremonia in Britain.

Elsewhere the Rosaceae-feeding agromyzid Agromyza idaeina is recorded mining Aremonia.

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

Elsewhere three British non-Diptera mines, Ectoedemia agrimoniae, Fenella nigrita and Stigmella aurella are recorded on Aremonia (see below).

A key to the European miners, based on characteristics of the mines, immature stages and where relevant the larval cases, recorded on Aremonia is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes Agromyza idaeina, Stigmella aurella, Ectoedemia agrimoniae and Fenella nigrita.

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

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: A long gallery with dispersed frass (British leafminers). Oviposition may be at either side of the leaf, not necessarily close to a vein. The mine is a not very tortuous corridor, not widened in the end. Frass in a broad central line. The mine strongly overlaps with the one of S. splendidissimella (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Agrimonia, Fragaria, Geum, Potentilla and Rubus, but not yet on Aremonia, in Britain plus Aremonia and Geranium elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe.

Stigmella aurella (Fabricius, 1775) [Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae]

1b > Leaf-miner: Oviposition on the leaf underside. There starts an initially strongly contorted narrow corridor with a linear interrupted frass line. This is continued in broad corridor or elongated blotch with dispersed frass. Often a number of mines in a leaf. Pupation inside the mine, in a violet to blackish cocoon (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Agrimonia eupatoria, but not yet on Aremonia, in Britain and Agrimonia eupatoria and Aremonia agrimonioides elsewhere. Recorded in south-east England. Widespread in continental Europe.

Ectoedemia agrimoniae (Frey, 1858) [Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae]

1c> Leaf-miner: Full depth transparent blotch without a clear preceding corridor, quickly and strongly widening from the start. Frass in sausage-shaped granules. Often several leaflets of a composite leaf each have a mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Agrimonia, Potentilla and Rubus, but not yet on Aremonia, in Britain plus Aremonia, Filipendula, and Fragaria elsewhere. Widespread in Britain including Surrey and West Cornwall. Widespread in continental Europe.

Fenella nigrita Westwood, 1839 [Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae]