CONIUM. Hemlock. [Apiaceae]


Hemlock (C. maculatum), is the only species of Conium recorded in Britain. It is a native species.

Two Diptera miners, the agromyzid Phytomyza conii and the tephritid Euleia heraclei, are recorded on Conium in Britain.

Elsewhere the agromyzids Chromatomyia horticola, Phytomyza chaerophylli, Phytomyza conii and Phytomyza pastinacae and the tephritid Euleia heraclei are recorded mining Conium.

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

Elsewhere one additional British non-Diptera miner is recorded on Conium (see below).

A key to the European miners, based on characteristics of the mines, immature stages and where relevant the larval cases, recorded on Conium is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes Chromatomyia horticola, Euleia heraclei, Phytomyza chaerophylli, Phytomyza conii, Phytomyza pastinacae and Epermenia chaerophyllella.




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




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 > Leaf miner: A large blotch, yellow or brown, preceded by a short corridor that in the end mostly is completely overrun. Generally several larvae share a mine. Especially in fresh mines the green primary and secondary feeding lines are well visible. Pupation outside the mine. Puparium yellow.

On numerous genera of Apiaceae, including Conium and possibly some Asteraceae in Britain and elsewhere. Throughout the British Isles. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland and most of the Palaearctic region, as far east as Afghanistan.

Euleia heraclei (Linnaeus, 1758) [Diptera: Tephritidae].

1b > Leaf miner: Mine linear, greenish. Puparium remains glued to leaf beyond the end of the mine. Puparium shining black

Recorded on Conium in Britain and elsewhere. Recorded from Huntingdonshire, Suffolk, Warwickshire and Cambridgeshire. Widespread in continental Europe including Germany and Romania.

Phytomyza conii Hering, 1931 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]..



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

 

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: The larvae are often gregarious and feed on the underside of the leaf causing a 'windowing' effect as they eat the mesophyll and lower epidermis. This effect can be seen from the top of the leaf as it discolours (British leafminers). Short, small, irregular, sometimes widened corridor. Mostly a number in a leaf, concentrated in the axils of the midrib and the primary side veins. Each larva makes a number of mines. Often the larva protrudes with its rear end out of the mine, causing most frass to be ejected. While moving, at the leaf underside, silken threads are produced, in wich grains of frass may be trapped. Older larvae live free and cause window feeding, often in a group under a light spinning (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Angelica sylvestris, Anthriscus sylvestris, Daucus carota, Heracleum sphondylium and Heracleum sativa, but not yet on Conium, in Britain and Aegopodium podagraria, Angelica archangelica subsp. litoralis, Angelica sylvestris, Anthriscus caucalis, Anthriscus cerefolium, Anthriscus sylvestris, Apium graveolens, Berula erecta, Carum carvi, Chaerophyllum hirsutum, Chaerophyllum temulum, Cicuta virosa, Conium maculatum, Daucus carota, Heracleum sphondylium, Levisticum officinale, Oenanthe, Pastinaca sativa, Peucedanum, Pimpinella saxifraga, Seseli libanotis, Silaum, Sium latifolium, Sison amomum and Torilis elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe.

Epermenia chaerophyllella (Goeze, 1783) [Lepidoptera: Epermeniidae]



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Last updated 04-Feb-2012  Brian Pitkin Top of page