BORAGO. Borages. [Boraginaceae]


Two introduced species of Borago are recorded in Britain, Borage (B. officinalis) and Slender Borage (B. pygmaea).

Only one Diptera miner, the agromyzid Agromyza abiens, is recorded on Borago in Britain and this is also recorded on Anchusa, Cynoglossum, Echium, Myosotis, Pentaglottis, Pulmonaria, and Symphytum in Britain.

Elsewhere the agromyzids Agromyza abiens, Agromyza myosotidis, Chromatomyia horticola and Liriomyza huidobrensis are recorded mining Borago.

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

A key to the European miners, based on characteristics of the mines, immature stages and where relevant the larval cases, recorded on Borago is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes Cnephasia asseclana, Cnephasia stephensiana, Chromatomyia horticola, Dialectica scalariella, Agromyza myosotidis and Agromyza abiens

Borage - Borago sp.
Borage
Borago sp.




Key for the identification of the mines of British Diptera recorded on
Anchusa, Borago, Cynoglossum, Echium and Pulmonaria




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: A narrow linear leaf mine, which developes into a large blotch. Several larvae frequently feed together and the resulting mine can entirely fill the leaf. Puparium reddish brown

On numerous genera of Boraginaceae, including Anchusa, Borago, Cynoglossum, Echium and Pulmonaria in Britain and elsewhere. Widespread in Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Common and widespread throughout most of Europe.

Agromyza abiens Zetterstedt, 1848 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].



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Last updated 16-Jan-2012  Brian Pitkin Top of page