The leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds
HOME : Introduction : Methods : Miners : Parasitoids
Host plants by Scientific name : Common name
References : Web resources : Acknowledgements : Recent changes : Index : Search

LACTUCA. Lettuces. [Asteraceae]

Seven species of Lactuca are recorded in Britain. These include the native Least Lettuce (L. saligna), Prickly Lettuce (L. serriola) and Great Lettuce (L. virosa) and the introduced Garden Lettuce (L. sativa) and Blue Lettuce (L. tatarica), Mountian Lettuce (L. perennis) and Pliant Lettuce (L. viminea).

Least Lettuce (L. saligna) is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Only one dipterous miner, the polyphagous agromyzid Chromatomyia 'atricornis', is recorded on Lactuca in Britain.

The agromyzids Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza sativae and Liriomyza trifolii, polyphagous pest species of ornamental and vegetable crops occasionally intercepted at UK points of entry, are recorded on Lactuca. Liriomyza huidobrensis and Liriomyza trifolii have been found under glass in England and Wales. All populations have been and continue to be eradicated.

Great Lettuce - Lactuca virosa Image: Brian Pitkin
Great Lettuce - Lactuca virosa

 

Elsewhere the agromyzids Chromatomyia horticola, Chromatomyia syngenesiae, Liriomyza bryoniae, Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza sativae, Liriomyza scorzonerae, Liriomyza sonchi, Liriomyza strigata, Liriomyza trifolii, Ophiomyia cunctata, Ophiomyia pinguis, Ophiomyia pulicaria and Phytomyza marginella, and the tephritid Trypeta zoe are recorded mining Lactuca.

Elsewhere the agromyzid Napomyzxa lateralis is recorded boring stems of Lactuca.

One non-dipterous leaf-miner is recorded on Lactuca in Britain (see below).

 


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


1> Mine linear, whitish, both upper and lower surface. Pupation internal, at the end of the mine, with the anterior spiracles projecting through the epidermis.

Mines of Chromatomyia atricornis on Sonchus olearaceus (upper surface). Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Mines of Chromatomyia atricornis on Sonchus olearaceus (lower surface). Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders)
Mine of Chromatomyia atricornis on Sonchus olearaceus.
Images: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders)

Chromatomyia 'atricornis' auctt. [Agromyzidae].

Non-dipterous miners recorded on Lactuca in Britain

Orthochaetes setiger (Beck, 1817) Coleoptera: Curculionidae Nederlandse bladmineerders Fauna Europaea


Top of page
Last updated 29-Jul-2008  Brian Pitkin

.