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(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera)
by
Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds
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PYRACANTHA.
Firethorns. [Rosaceae]
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Four
species of Pyracantha are recorded in Britain. These include
Firethorn (P. coccinea).
Six British miners are recorded on Pyracantha.
A key to the European miners recorded on Pyracantha is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa.
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Key for the identification of the known mines of British
insects (Diptera and non-Diptera) recorded on Pyracantha
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1a > Leaf-miner and case-bearer: The larva lives outside the mine, protected by a case, and feeds on the underlying plant tissues via a hole cut in the epidermis. From that point it eats away as much leaf tissue as it can reach without fully entering the mine. Mine does not contain frass (Coleophora species) |
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1b > Leaf-miner, but not a case-bearer: The larva lives mainly inside the mine. Mine usually contains frass. In later instars the larva may live sandwiched between two more or less circular sections cut from the leaf. |
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2 > Leaf-miner
and case-bearer: Tubular leaf case, 6-7 mm long, light, later dark brown, trivalved,
with a mouth angle of 45°. The larva lives at the underside
of the leaf, and makes sizable full depth mines there. |
On Malus and Prunus, but not yet on Pyracantha,
in Britain and Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Cydonia, Malus, Prunus,
Pyracantha and Sorbus elsewhere. Southern England.
Widespread in continental Europe
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Coleophora
prunifoliae Doets, 1944 [Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae]. |
3a > Leaf-miner: The
larvae initially mining the leaves in a short, contorted gallery.
As the larva develops it leaves the mine to feed externally, creating
windows on the upperside of the leaves.
Oviposition at the leaf upperside, egg shell iridescent. Small,
hook-like corridor, mostly in a vein axil. Frass in a very thick
central line. The larva soon leaves the mine through an untidy hole
and subsequenty feeds living freely on the leaf. Pupation occurs in a ribbed white cocoon spun on debris. The
winter is passed in this stage.. |
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On Crataegus, Malus, Pyrus and Sorbus, but not yet on Pyracantha, in Britain and Amelanchier, Chaenomeles,
Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Cydonia, Malus, Mespilus, Prunus, Pyracantha,
Pyrus and Sorbus elsewhere. Widespread throughout England
and southern Scotland. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland.
Widespread in continental Europe.
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Bucculatrix
bechsteinella (Bechstein & Scharfenberg, 1805) [Lepidoptera:
Bucculatricidae]. |
3b > Leaf-miner: A long, whitish smoothly-curved upper-surface mine with broken black
frass.
Oviposition
is by means of an ovipositor; what remains is a small scar: no egg
shell is visible at the start of the mine. From here a long, sometimes
very long, slender, full depth corridor winds throught the leaf,
not steered by leaf margin or the leaf venation. The midrib is crossed
effortless (see 'special'); the corridor frequently also crosses
itself; the section of the leaf cut off then usally turns brown
and dies off. Frass in a narrow central line. The larva vacates
the mine prior to pupation through an exit in the upper epidermis.
Pupation takes place in a cocoon that hangs in a 'hammock' in a
fold of the leaf. The vacated larval chamber is proportionally much
longer than in the case of Stigmella mines ( > 3 x longer
than broad). |
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Polyphagous. On numerous genera and species in several plant families, but
not yet on Pyracantha, in Britain. On numerous genera and species in several plant families, including Pyracantha elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental
Europe. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland.
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Lyonetia
clerkella (Linnaeus, 1758) [Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae]. |
3c > Leaf-miner: The mine is upper side and silvery, over the midrib. Leaf later
may fold upwards, concealing the mine.
Oviposition
is on the base of the midrib. From there an epidermal corridor is
made, running towards the leaf tip. The corridor then is widened
into an epidermal, silvery blotch, finally into a longitudinally
contracted tentiform mine. Frass in fine, shining grains, mostly
in a line over the midrib, rarely in a mass in a corner of the mine.
The epidermis of the mine has a number of yellow spots, but never
the black specks that are apparent in P.
corylifoliella. |
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Polyphagous. On Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Fagus, Laburnum, Malus, Pyracantha, Pyrus and Sorbus in Britain and additionally Chaenomeles, elsewhere.
Widespread in England, southern Scotland and continental Europe.
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Phyllonorycter
leucographella (Zeller, 1850) [Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae]. |
3d > Leaf-miner: The mine is often in the lobe of the leaf. There are many creases
in lower epidermis, which is strongly contracted, causing lobe or
leaf-edge to fold over.
Rather
small, lower-surface, tentiform mine with a yellow-green epidermis
that has a number of folds. Pupation within the mine. The pupa of
the summer generation in a quite flimsy cocoon; in the autumn generation
there is more, golden, silk. All frass in a clump in the distal
angle of the mine. |
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On Crataegus, Cydonia and Pyrus, but not yet on Pyracantha, in Britain and Crataemespilus,
Crataegus, Cydonia, Mespilus, Pyracantha, Pyrus and Sorbus elsewhere. Widespread in Britain, Ireland and continental
Europe.
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Phyllonorycter
oxyacanthae (Frey, 1856) [Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae].
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3e > Leaf-miner: The frass linear in early gallery, widening to blotch with dispersed
frass.
Oviposition
at random point of the leaf, either at upper- or lower-surface.
First a quite slender corridor is made, with a relatively broad,
continuous, frass line, that always leaves a clear margin at either
side; the corridor winds freely through the leaf. This initial corridor
often abruptly changes in direction, widens into a blotch that mostly
lie along the leaf margin. Pupation outside the mine. |
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On Crataegus, but not yet on Pyracantha,
in Britain and Hippophae, Amelanchier, Cotoneaster,
Crataegus, Pyracantha and Sorbus elsewhere. Widespread
in Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread
in continental Europe.
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Stigmella
hybnerella (Hübner, 1813) [Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae]. |
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