LAMIUM. Dead-nettles. [Lamiaceae]

Nine species of Lamium are recorded in Britain. These include the native Henbit Dead-nettle (L. amplexicaule), Northern Dead-nettle (L. confertum), Cut-leaved Dead-nettle (L. hybridum), Red Dead-nettle (L. purpureum) and White Dead-nettle (L. album).

Seven Diptera miners, the agromyzids Agromyza flavipennis, Amauromyza labiatarum, Amauromyza lamii, Amauromyza morionella, Liriomyza strigata and Ophiomyia labiatarum and the ephydrid Hydrellia griseola, are recorded on Lamium in Britain, although British records of Amauromyza morionella require confirmation.

Elsewhere the agromyzids Agromyza flavipennis, Amauromyza labiatarum, Amauromyza lamii, Amauromyza morionella, Chromatomyia horticola, Liriomyza bryoniae, Liriomyza strigata, Liriomyza trifolii and Ophiomyia labiatarum, and the ephydrid Hydrellia griseola are recorded mining Lamium.

Two non-Diptera miners are recorded on Lamium in Britain (see below).

Elsewhere three additional non-Diptera miners are recorded on Lamium (see below).

N.B. The key to mines below includes mines recorded on Lamium and Prunella (Lamiaceae).

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).

1a > Stem mine. A shallow, inconspicuous external stem mine. Pupation in stem near a node. Puparium whitish-grey

On Clinopodium, Galeopsis, Lamium and Stachys in Britain and Calamintha, Galeopsis, Lamium, Nepeta, Prunella, Satureja and Stachys elsewhere. Widespread in Britain including Surrey, Oxford, Hunts, Warwick, Suffolk and Perth. Widespread in continental Europe. Also recorded from the East Palaearctic.

Ophiomyia labiatarum Hering, 1937 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

1b > Leaf mine.

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2a > Leaf-miner: A distinctive mine primarily above mid-rib, with irregular short lateral offshoots into leaf blade. Pupation external (Spencer, 1972: 51 (fig. 172), 55; Spencer, 1976: 270, 271 (fig. 486)). Branched, whitish, upper-surface corridor; main axis overlying the midrib; side branches overlying the main lateral veins. (In Campanula and Phyteuma the mine is much less branched, sometimes nothing more than a corridor on top of the midrib). Frass in rather long strings. Usually the mines begins as a long and narrow, shallow, tortuous lower-surface corridor that ends upon the midrib but otherwise is not associated with the leaf venation. Often this initial corridor is filled with callus, and then even less conspicuous. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa). A linear mine on the upper surface, usually following the midrib and showing side branches along the veins. The frass is in strings (British leafminers).

On more than 40 host genera in 15 families in Britain including Lamium. Widespread throughout Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Liriomyza strigata (Meigen, 1830) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

2b > Mine not primarily associated with the mid rib.

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3a > Blotch-mine invariably adjoining margin of leaf. Puparium reddish brown or reddish-orange

On Glechoma and Lamium in Britain and Lamium and Lamiastrum elsewhere. Uncommon in Britain - Bucks, Surrey, Warwick, Cambridge and Middlesex. Widespread in continental Europe.

Agromyza flavipennis Hendel, 1920 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

3b > A linear-blotch mine, first instar mine is linear, later developing into a conspicuous white blotch. Frass greenish diffused.

On numerous genera of Lamiaceae in Britain and elsewhere. Widespread and locally common in south of England. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland and widespread and frequently common in continental Europe.

Amauromyza labiatarum (Hendel, 1920) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

3c > Initially a long, slim corridor, the frass alternating on either the side of the corridor. After moulting, the larva broadens the mine and the frass is less regular. Pupation external

Mine of Amauromyza lamii on Stachys sylvatica Image: Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Host in Britain unknown. The record on Glechoma from Warwick (Kingsbury Wood) (Robbins, 1991: 103) is considered unlikely to be correct (Henshaw in Chandler, 1998). On Ajuga, Ballota, Galeopsis, Glechoma, Lamiastrum, Lamium, Leonurus, Marrubium, Mellitis, Mentha, Scutellaria and Stachys elsewhere. Widespread in continental Europe.

Amauromyza lamii (Kaltenbach, 1858) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

3d > An initially linear mine, which at second instar develops into a large whitish blotch with conspicuous black frass. The early linear mine is frequently entirely enveloped by the blotch but is detectable by the alternate irregular strips of frass. Pupation external. Puparium reddish brown. Distinguishable from Amauromyza lamii only by the male genitalia.

On Ajuga, Ballota, Lamium, Marrubium and Stachys in Britain and additional Lamiaceae elsewhere. In southern England and Europe.

Amauromyza morionella (Zetterstedt, 1848) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

3e > Irregular mine, locally shallow, elsewhere much deeper, giving it a mottled appearance. In broadleaved plants the mine often begins as a blotch with stellate extensions, but sometimes as a very fine, shallow corridor. In grasses the mine often begins in the leaf sheath. The frass is very fine-grained, initially scattered, later in aggregates.

Mine of Hydrellia griseola on Glyceria fluitans Image: Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

On ? Alisma, ? Damasonium, ? Sagittaria, ? Bellis, ? Rorippa, Tropaeolum , ? Lychnis, ? Stellaria, ? Carex, ? Cyperus, ? Scirpus, ? Hydrocharis, ? Stratiotes, ? Lamium, ? Lemna, ? Allium, Arrhenatherum, ? Polygonum, ? Potamogeton, ? Veronica, ? Typha in Britain and ? Alisma, ? Damasonium, ? Sagittaria, ? Bellis, ? Rorippa, Tropaeolum, Lychnis, ? Stellaria, Carex, ? Scirpus, Trifolium, ? Hydrocharis, Lamium, ? Lemna, Allium, Papaver, Agrostis, Alopecurus, Apera, Arrhenatherum, Avena, Avenula, Brachypodium, Briza, Bromus, Calamagrostis, Dactylis, Desmazeria, Digitaria, Echinochloa, Eleusine, Elymus, Festuca, Gaudinia, Glyceria, Holcus, Hordeum, Lagurus, Lolium, Panicum, Phalaris, Phleum, Phragmites, Poa, Secale, Setaria, Triticum, ? Polygonum, ? Potamogeton, Veronica, ? Typha and Verbena elsewhere. Widespread in England. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in the Palaearctic region. Also recorded from Nearctic and Australasian Regions.

Hydrellia griseola (Fallén, 1813) [Diptera: Ephydridae].

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

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 > Miner and case bearer. The larva lives outside the mine, protected by a case, and feeds on the underlying plant tisses via a hole cut in the epidermis. Mine does not contain frass (Coleophora species)

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1b > Miner, but not a case-bearer, although it may live sandwiched between two more or less circular sections cut from the leaf in later instars e.g. Incurvaria species. The larva lives mainly inside the mine. Mine usually contains frass

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2 > Leaf-miner and case-bearer: The mines are large and obvious on the upper side of the leaf, betraying the larva or larvae on the lower side (UKMoths). Cases are broad and flat - being very hairy from the texture of the leaf (British leafminers). Immediately after emergence the larva makes a full depth, quickly widening, corridor, with frass as small grains in a broad central band. Finally results in a blotch of 2 x 5 mm, from which the young case is cut. The fully developed case is a hairy, greyish brown to silver grey lobe case case of about 1 cm long, with a clearly laterally compressed end; the mouth angle is about 90°. The case is difficult to separate from that of C. ochripennella (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Ballota, Lamium, Marrubium and Stachys in Britain and Ballota, Lamiun, Marrubium, Phlomis and Stachys elsewhere. Widespread in England in Britain. Widespread in continental Europe.

 

Coleophora lineolea (Haworth, 1828) [Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae].

3a > Leaf-miner: Rather long corridor winding through the leaf, regularly crossing itself. The corridor later widens considerably. Frass normally in a narrow central line, but may also lie along the side, or be absent. The larva regularly leaves a mine and restarts elsewhere (Bladmineerders van Europa). Larva without abdominal legs.

Recorded on Lamiastrum galeobdolon and Lamium album in Britain plus Ajuga reptans, Clinopodium vulgare, Lamium, Prunella, Stachys, Teucrium, Plantago major, Veronica, chamaedrys and Veronica longifolia elsewhere. Widespread in England and continental Europe.

Apteropeda globosa (Illiger, 1794) [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae].

3b > 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).

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

 

Apteropeda orbiculata (Marsham, 1802) [Coleopterea: Chrysomelidae].

3c > 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 of several plant families, but not yet on Lamium, in Britain. Recorded on numerous genera and species of several plant families, incluidng Lamium, elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded from the Channel Is.

 

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

3d > Leaf-miner: Rather narrow corridor, untidy and sometimes branched, starting from the base of the leaf, in particular the midrib. Sides of the corridor irregularly eaten out, not really parallel. Frass mostly present, and then in a central line. The legless larva is capable of leaving the mine and start a new one elsewhere. These later mines are much broader, and the frass is scattered irregularly. (Bladmineerders van Europa.

Host plants unknown in Britain. Recorded on numerous genera and species in several plant families, including Lamium, elsewhere. Recorded in southern England. Widespread in continental Europe.