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LYCHNIS. Campions and Catchflys. [Caryophyllaceae]

Eight species of Lychnis are recorded in Britain. These include the native Alpine Catchfly (L. alpina), Ragged-Robin (L. flos-cuculi) and Sticky Catchfly (L. viscaria). Alpine Catchfly (L. alpina) is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Eight dipterous miners, the agromyzids Amauromyza flavifrons and Ophiomyia melandricaulis, the anthomyiids Delia cardui, Delia coronariae, Delia echinata and Pegomya flavifrons, the drosophilid Scaptomyza graminum and the ephydrid Hydrellia griseola are recorded on Lychnis in Britain. Elsewhere the agromyzids Amauromyza flavifrons and Liriomyza strigata, the anthomyiids Delia cardui, Delia coronariae, Delia echinata and Pegomya flavifrons, the drosphilid Scaptomyza graminum and the ephydrid Hydrellia griseola are recorded mining Lychnis. No non-dipterous miners are recorded on Lychnis in Britain.

Ragged-Robin - Lychnis flos-cuculi

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

1> Leaf and stem mine. 2. -> Leaf mine or stem mine. 3. 2> Leaf and stem mine. Mine always arising from the leaf base or ending in it, because the larva mines and changes leaves. Mine often broad, irregular corridor like, often touching the midrib. At first corridor often entirely without frass, later in the spring the mines are often less deep, containing thick, irregularly deposited frass lumps. Delia cardui (Meigen) [Anthomyiidae]. -> Leaf and stem mine. Apart from mining leaves the stems are excavated. Oviposition takes place on the tips of shoots. The larva at first mines strip-like full depth corridors in the apical leaves, going then into the stem, which it hollows out, so that it becomes translucent. It then searches out leaves further down in which initially it mines depositing frass in strips, but then in blotches. The corridors often lie in one half of the leaf and can be branched. In the blotches the frass is irregularly scattered. Pupation is in the hollow stem or in the ground. Delia echinata (Séguy) [Anthomyiidae]. ->Leaf-mine: Irregularly formed mine, very shallow and as a result, whitish in colour. In broad leaved plants frequently star-shaped and sometimes a very shallow corridor. In grasses the mine frequently starts in the leaf sheath. The frass is finely grained, initially irregularly spread, later in clumps. The larva may mine more than one leaf. Pupation in separate mine (sometimes even on another plant) without frass. Puparium whitish to dark grey Mine of Hydrellia griseola on Glyceria fluitans. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Hydrellia griseola (Fallén) [Ephydridae]. 3> Stem mine. A shallow external stem-mine. Pupation in the mine. Puparium pale brown Ophiomyia melandricaulis Hering [Agromyzidae]. -> Leaf mine. 4. 4> Leaf-mine: A white linear-blotch mine, the linear section sometimes not detectable as it becomes enveloped in later blotch. Puparium reddish-brown Mines of Amauromyza flavifrons on Silene dioica. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Amauromyza (Trilobomyza) flavifrons (Meigen) [Agromyzidae]. -> Leaf-mine: Mine only in the leaf lamina (not the mid-rib). Mine not simultaneously blotch-like (on the upper side or under side) and with very fine frass grains. Mine not touching the midrib. Mine at least in places greenish in transmitted light when seen from either the dorsal side or ventral side. Frass plentiful, irregularly scattered throughout the mine. Pupation always external. The egg shell lies on the leaf surface at the beginning of the mine. Delia coronariae (Hendel) [Anthomyiidae]. -> Leaf-mine: Upper side blotch mine beginning with a deeper, almost full depth corridor. Frass grains not in thread-like pieces, irregularly scattered. In the large, later blotch indistinct primary and secondary frass lines are found; the frass accumulated in the middle. Mine of Pegomya flavifrons on Silene dioica. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Pegomya flavifrons (Walker) [Anthomyiidae]. -> Leaf-mine: Corridor-blotch mine. Mine begins as a normally upper surface deep corridor and becomes a blotch lying centrally in the leaf, often touching the leaf petiole, if leaves are small larva may mine across the stem to another leaf. Pupation internal or external, sometimes in a separate pupation mine. Frass partly in grains or streaks but mainly in clumps towards margins of blotch. Scaptomyza (Scaptomyza) graminum (Fallén) [Drosophilidae]

Last updated 10-Sep-2008  Brian Pitkin

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