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ATRIPLEX. Oraches and Sea-purslanes. [Chenopodiaceae]
Twenty-eight species of Atriplex are recorded in Britain. These include the native species Babington's Orache (A. glabriuscula), Frosted Orache (A. laciniata), Grass-leaved Orache (A. littoralis), Long-stalked Orache (A. longipes), Common Orache (A. patula), Pedunculate or Stalked Sea-purslane (A. pedunculata), Sea-purslane (A. portulacoides), Early Orache (A. praecox) and Spear-leaved Orache (A. prostrata). Pedunculate or Stalked Sea-purslane (A. pedunculata) is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Six dipterous miners, the agromyzid Amauromyza flavifrons, the ephydrid Clanoneurum cimiciforme, the anthomyiids Delia echinata, Pegomya betae and Pegomya hyoscyami and the drosophilid Scaptomyza graminum, are recorded on Atriplex in Britain. Clanoneurum cimiciforme is also recorded on Salicornia and Suaeda in Britain.	Sea-purslane - Atriplex portulacoides.
The British agromyzid Amauromyza luteiceps is recorded as a stem-borer of Atriplex, although this host record is not based on British specimens. The agromyzid Liriomyza huidobrensis, a pest species of ornamental and vegetable crops occasionally intercepted at UK points of entry, has been recorded on Atriplex and has been found under glass in England and Wales. All populations have been and continue to be eradicated. Elsewhere the agromyzids Amauromyza flavifrons, Amauromyza lamii, Liriomyza bryoniae, Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza strigata and Chromatomyia horticola, the anthomyiids Delia echinata, Pegomya betae and Pegomya conformis, the drosophilid Scaptomyza graminum and the ephydrid Clanoneurum cimiciforme are recorded mining Atriplex. Eight non-dipterous miners are recorded on Atriplex in Britain (see below).

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

1> Leaf and stem mine. Apart from mining leaves the stems are excavated. Oviposition takes place on the tips of shoots. The larva at first mines strip-like full depth corridors in the apical leaves, going then into the stem, which it hollows out, so that it becomes translucent. It then searches out leaves further down in which initially it mines depositing frass in strips, but then in blotches. The corridors often lie in one half of the leaf and can be branched. In the blotches the frass is irregularly scattered. Pupation is in the hollow stem or in the ground. Delia echinata (Séguy) [Anthomyiidae]. ->Leaf mine. 2. 2> A white linear-blotch mine, the linear section sometimes not detectable as it becomes enveloped in later blotch (Spencer, 1976: 162). Puparium reddish-brown Mines of Amauromyza flavifrons on Silene dioica. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Amauromyza flavifrons (Meigen) [Agromyzidae] ->Mine begins as a broad corridor, which is rather transparent, widening itself then becoming a dorsal or ventral, greenish blotch, which later, depending on the size of the leaf, can become, in places, full depth and transparent. Ample black frass scattered in the mine. Puparium reddish-brown Pegomya betae (Curtis) [Anthomyiidae]. ->Large blotch mine, often with several larvae, beginning with a short deeper corridor at a single egg shell on the surface of the leaf. The broad deep corridor later ends in a blotch but can be recognised (beneath the blotch) by its greater depth. Mine predominantly dorsal or ventral, greenish in transmitted light. Frass grains irregularly scattered except in the initial corridor. Mine of Pegomya hyoscyami on Atropa belladonna. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Pegomya hyoscyami (Panzer) [Anthomyiidae]. ->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. Pupation internal or external, sometimes in a separate pupation mine. Frass partly in grains or streaks but mainly in clumps towards margins of blotch. Scaptomyza graminum (Fallén) [Drosophilidae]. ->Broad mine of variable depth. Frass spread irregularly. Pupation usually internal, seldom external. Clanoneurum cimiciforme (Haliday) [Ephydridae].

Non-dipterous miners recorded on Atriplex in Britain Chrysoesthia drurella (Fabricius, 1775) Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae Chrysoesthia sexguttella (Thunberg, 1794) Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae Coleophora atriplicis Meyrick, 1928 Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae   Coleophora salinella Stainton, 1859 Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae   Coleophora saxicolella (Duponchel, 1843) Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae   Scrobipalpa atriplicella (Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1841) Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae     Scrobipalpa instabilella (Douglas, 1846) Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae Scrobipalpa nitentella (Fuchs, 1902) Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae

Last updated 19-Aug-2008  Brian Pitkin

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