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


MONTIA. Blinks. [Portulacaceae]


Two species of Montia are recorded in Britain. These include the native Blinks (M. fontana) and the introduced Small-leaved Blinks (M. parvifolia).

Only one dipterous miner, the drosophilid Scaptomyza graminum, is recorded on Montia but it is unclear whether this record is British.

No non-dipterous miners are recorded on Montia in Britain.




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




1> 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 graminum (Fallén) [Drosophilidae].


Top of page

Last updated 24-Aug-2007  Brian Pitkin

.