HYOSCYAMUS. Henbanes. [Solanaceae]

Five species of Hyoscyamus are recorded in Britain. These include the native Henbane (H. niger).

One Diptera miner is recorded on Hyoscyamus in Britain (see below).

Elsewhere the agromyzids Chromatomyia horticola, Liriomyza bryoniae and Liriomyza strigata and the anthomyiid Pegomya hyoscyami are recorded mining Hyoscyamus.

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

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

A key to the European miners, based on characteristics of the mines, immature stages and where relevant the larval cases, recorded on Hyoscyamus is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes Pegomya hyoscyami, Chromatomyia horticola, Liriomyza bryoniae and Liriomyza strigata but not Cnephasia lineata, Ergasiola ergasima, Hedma hyoscyami or Phthorimaea operculella.

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: Large blotch mine, often with several larvae, beginning with a short deeper corridor at a single egg shell on the surface of the leaf. The broad deep corridor later ends in a blotch but can be recognised (beneath the blotch) by its greater depth. Mine predominantly dorsal or ventral, greenish in transmitted light. Frass grains irregularly scattered except in the initial corridor.

On Silene [Caryophyllaceae], Atriplex, Beta, Chenopodium [Chenopodiaceae] and possibly Solanum [Solanaceae] in Britain and additional genera of Chenopodiaceae and Solanaceae elsewhere. Known only from Inner Hebrides, Ayr and Warwick in Britain. Also recorded in continental Europe and the East Palaearctic.

Pegomya hyoscyami (Panzer, 1809) [Diptera: Anthomyiidae].

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

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: Large, glassy, irregular blotches without a recognisable preceding corridor. Frass in a black mass, mainly in the oldest part of the mine. The larvae move several times, and can also bore in the stem and underground parts (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Mine of Phthorimaea operculella on Solanum nigrum Image: Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Recorded on Solanum, but not yet on Hyoscyamus, in Britain and Hyoscyamus, Lycopersicon, Nicotiana and Solanum elsewhere. Distribution in Britain unknown. Widespread in continental Europe.

Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller, 1873) [Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae]