CIRCAEA. Enchanter's-nightshade. [Onagraceae]

Three species of Circaea are recorded in Britain. These include Enchanter's-nightshade (C. lutetiana).

No Diptera miners are recorded on Circaea in Britain.

Two British non-Diptera mines, Mompha terminella and Mompha langiella, are recorded on Circaea in Britain and elsewhere (see below).

A key to the European miners on Circaea is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes Mompha terminella and Mompha langiella.

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

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 narrow contorted gallery leading to a whitish blotch with scattered frass centrally. The early gallery can merge with the blotch and there are often several to a leaf (British leafminers). The larva begins by making a full depth corridor, erratic in width and course; frass black, in an irregular central line. Later the larva makes a blotch, with frass in irregular clouds. This blotch can be a continuation of the corridor, but may just as well be on a different leaf. Often several mines in a leaf; in such cases the entire leaf me be mined out. Mines white at first, turning brown later. The larva lies venter-upwards in the mine. Pupation external Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Circaea and Epilobium in Britain and Chamerion, Circaea and Epilobium elsewhere. Widespread in England and continental Europe.

Mompha langiella (Hübner, 1796) [Lepidoptera: Momphidae]

1b > Leaf-miner: Early mines are spiral galleries; later forms pale blotches, sometimes having moved to a different leaf (British leafminers). Egg at the upperside of the leaf, not near the midrib. The larva starts by making a long, narrow, full depth corridor that is strongly spiraled or even lies in intestine-like loops. Frass as fine grains, distributed, later in a central line. After a while a new mine is made, either a continuation of the corridor or, more often, in a new leaf. This new mine begins as a narrow corridor but soon widens into a large blotch; here the fass lies in a broad band. The larva lies venter-upwards in the mine. Pupation external (Bladmineerders van Europa). Pupation in a cocoon, on a leaf or in leaf-litter (British leafminers).

Recorded on Circaea and Epilobium in Britain and Circaea elsewhere. Widespread in Britain. Also recorded in Northern Ireland and continental Europe.

Mompha terminella (Humphreys and Westwood, 1845) [Lepidoptera: Momphidae]