Echium [Boraginaceae]

ECHIUM. Viper's-buglosses. [Boraginaceae]

Nine species of Echium are recorded in Britain. These include the native Purple Viper's-bugloss (E. plantagineum) and Viper's-bugloss (E. vulgare).

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

Elsewhere the agromyzids Agromyza abiens, Chromatomyia horticola, Phytomyza medicaginis and Phytomyza spondyli are recorded mining Echium.

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

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

A key to the European miners, based on characteristics of the mines, immature stages and where relevant the larval cases, recorded on Echium is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes Agromyza abiens, Chromatomyia horticola, Phytomyza medicaginis, Apterona helicoidella, Cnephasia asseclana, Cnephasia incertana, Cnephasia stephensiana, Coleophora pennella, Cynaeda dentalis, Dialectica scalariella and Epascestria pustulalis.

Viper's-bugloss
Echium vulgare

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].

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

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: In the first instar the larva mines the leaves, forming short, irregular, blotch-like mines, but in later instars it lives externally, feeding in spun leaves and often twisting those of tender shoots. Larval head light-brown or yellowish brown, edged with black postero-laterally, ocellar area blackish; prothoracic plate black edged with whitish anteriorly; abdomen dull dark green; pinacula distinct, black, sometimes brownish but with black bases to setae; anal plate large, black (Bradley et al., 1973). Small, full depth mine without a definite shape; little frass. Some silk is deposited in the mine. The larva soon leaves the mine and continues feeding among spun leaves (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on numerous genera and species in several plant families, but not yet on Echium, in Britain. Recorded on numerous genera and species of several plant families elsewhere, including Echium. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded from the Channel Is.

Cnephasia incertana (Treitschke, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]

1b > Leaf-miner and case-bearer: The larva feeds in a distinctive case made from hairy leaf fragments of the foodplant (UKMoths). The young larva feeds on the developing seeds and hibernates in its first case which is made of the tip of a petal. After hibernation it makes a hoary, laterally flattened composite leaf case (resembling a willow catkin). Full depth mines are made at the margin of the leaves, that thereby look peculiarly damaged. Mouth angle 70° (Bladmineerders van Europa). Initially forms a blotch mine, in the centre of a leaf, which it excises for its initial case. In the spring it repeatedly extends its case and it resembles a jagged catkin of willow. The larva may wander from its foodplant and attach to other plants or fences etc (British leafminers).

Recorded on Anchusa, Echium and Pentaglottis in Britain and Anchusa, Cynoglossum, Echium, Lithospermum, Myosotis, Nonea, Pentaglottis, Pulmonaria and Symphytum elsewhere. South-east England and East Anglia, with scattered records elsewhere including East Kent and East Sussex. Widespread in continental Europe.

Coleophora pennella (Denis and Schiffermüller, 1775) [Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae]


	Last updated 01-Feb-2012 Brian Pitkin