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ELYMUS. Couches. [Poaceae]

Nine species of Elymus are recorded in Britain. These include the native Bearded Couch (E. caninus). Eleven dipterous miners, the agromyzids Agromyza mobilis, Agromyza nigrociliata, Cerodontha calosoma, Cerodontha denticornis, Cerodontha flavocingulata, Cerodontha incisa, Cerodontha lateralis, Cerodontha muscina, Cerodontha pygmaea, Cerodontha superciliosa and Chromatomyia nigra, are recorded on Elymus in Great Britain. Miners on grasses should be reared, whenever possible, to confirm their identity. Elsewhere the agromyzids Agromyza nigrociliata, Cerodontha denticornis, Cerodontha flavocingulata, Cerodontha incisa, Cerodontha lateralis, Cerodontha muscina, Cerodontha pygmaea, Cerodontha superciliosa, Chromatomyia nigra, Liriomyza flaveola, Liriomyza sativae and Pseudonapomyza atra and the ephydrid Hydrellia griseola are recorded mining Elymus. No non-dipterous leaf-miner is recorded on Elymus. Elsewhere seven British non-dipterous miners are recorded on Elymus (see below).

Key for the identification of the known Diptera mines in Britain.

#> Details of mine unknown. Puparium shining brown Cerodontha calosoma (Hendel) [Agromyzidae]. #> Details of mine unknown. Pupation internal. Puparium shining metallic bluish-black, posterior spiracles projecting through the epidermis. Cerodontha (Poemyza) muscina (Meigen) [Agromyzidae]. 1> The young larva first feeds towards the apex of the leaf, later turning and feeding downwards. Several larvae can occur together in a single leaf. Pupation external. Puparium reddish-brown Mine of Agromyza nigrociliata on Arrhenatherum elatius. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Agromyza nigrociliata Hendel [Agromyzidae]. ->Long upper surface mine, often with several larvae feeding together side by side. Agromyza mobilis Meigen [Agromyzidae]. ->Larva feeds mainly in the leaf sheaths. The short mines which may be formed in the leaf blade may be easily overlooked. Pupation internal. Cerodontha (Cerodontha) denticornis (Panzer) [Agromyzidae]. ->A lower surface mine. Pupation normally in the ground. Puparium yellowish-brown Cerodontha (Phytagromyza) flavocingulata (Strobl) [Agromyzidae]. ->Upper-surface corridor, generally in the upper half of the blade, running up to the leaf tip, usually occupying more then half the width of the leaf. Frass in green stripes at either side of the corridor. Never more than one larva in a mine. Puparium within the mine, metallic black, not anchered with a string of silk Cerodontha superciliosa (Zetterstedt) [Agromyzidae]. ->A linear mine running towards the apex of the leaf and this can widen and become almost blotch-like. Pupation internal. Puparium brownish-black Mine of Cerodontha lateralis on Poa pratensis. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Cerodontha (Poemyza) lateralis (Macquart) [Agromyzidae]. ->Normally several larvae feed together. Pupation in the mine. Puparium shining black. Cerodontha (Poemyza) pygmaea (Meigen) [Agromyzidae]. ->Broad elongated mine; the form is dependent of the leaf form of the host plant. Frass green. Usually a number of larvae together in a mine. Pupation internal. Puparium shining, metallic blue-black Cerodontha (Poemyza) incisa (Meigen) [Agromyzidae]. ->Mine long, narrow, whitish. Pupation internal. Puparium yellowish-brown, anterior spiracles projecting through the epidermis. Mine of Chromatomyia nigra on Arrhenatherum elatius. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Chromatomyia nigra (Meigen) [Agromyzidae].

British non-dipterous miners recorded on Elymus elsewhere Coleophora lixella Zeller, 1849 Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae   Elachista adscitella Stainton, 1851 Lepidoptera: Elachistidae   Elachista albifrontella (Hübner, 1817) Lepidoptera: Elachistidae Elachista apicipunctella Stainton, 1849 Lepidoptera: Elachistidae Elachista argentella (Clerck, 1759) Lepidoptera: Elachistidae Elachista bisulcella (Duponchel, 1843) Lepidoptera: Elachistidae     Elachista maculicerusella (Bruand, 1859) Lepidoptera: Elachistidae

Last updated 19-Aug-2008  Brian Pitkin

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