DIGITALIS. Foxgloves. [Scrophulariaceae]

Five species of Digitalis are recorded in Britain. These include the native Foxglove (D. purpurea).

No Diptera miners are recorded on Digitalis in Britain.

The agromyzid Napomyza scrophulariae is recorded feeding in both seed heads and stems of Digitalis pupurea and possibly Scrophularia nodosa, Verbascum and Mentha in Britain.

One non-Diptera leaf-miner is recorded on Digitalis in Britain (see below).

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

A key to the European miners, based on characteristics of the mines, immature stages and where relevant the larval cases, recorded on Digitalis is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes only Phytomyza digitalis and Apteropeda orbiculata but not Mniophila muscorum.

Keys for the identification of the mines of British
non-Diptera recorded on Digitalis

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).

1# > Leaf-miner: Details unknown. Larva without abdominal legs.

Recorded on Digitalis purpurea in Britain. Host unknown elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland.

Mniophila muscorum (Koch, 1803) [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae]

1a > Leaf-miner: Rather long full depth corridor that winds freely through the leaf and may cross itself. In the end the corridor widens considerably. Frass mostly in a narrow central line, but may also be deposited along the sides or be missing. The larvae regular leave a mine to restart elsewhere. Pupation outside the mine. Neither larva or mine can be distinguished from that of related species (Bladmineerders van Europa). Larva without abdominal legs.

Recorded on numerous genera and species in several plant families, but not yet on Digitalis, in Britain. Recorded on numerous genera and species in several plant families, including Digitalis, elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe.

Apteropeda orbiculata (Marsham, 1802) [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae]