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RANUNCULUS. Buttercups, Spearworts and Crowfoots. [Ranunculaceae] |
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Twenty-seven species of Ranunuculus are recorded in Britain. These include the native Meadow Buttercup (R. acris), Goldilocks Buttercup (R. auricomus), Bulbous Buttercup (R. bulbosus), Lesser Celandine (R. ficaria), Lesser Spearwort (R. flammula), Greater Spearwort (R. lingua) and Creeping Buttercup (R. repens). Ranunculus ficaria is treated as Ficaria verna by Stace (2010). Adder's-toungue Spearwort (R. ophioglossifolius) is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. River Water-crowfoot (R. fluitans) is protected in Northern Ireland under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order, 1985. Nine diptera, the sciarid Phytosciara halterata, and the agromyzids Ophiomyia ranunculicaulis, Phytomyza rydeni, Phytomyza fallaciosa, Phytomyza ranunculi, Phytomyza ranunculivora, Phytomyza stolonigena and Phytomyza notata are recorded mining Ranunculus in Britain. |
 Lesser Celandine Ranunculus ficaria |
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Elsewhere the sciarid Phytosciara halterata and the agromyzid Phytomyza stolonigena are recorded on Ranunculus (Hering, 1957). The agromyids Phytomyza evanescens and Phytomyza nigritula feed as internal stem-borers of Ranunculus in Britain (Spencer, 1972). The agromyzid Phytomyza albipennis possibly feeds as an internal stem-borer of Ranunculus in Britain (Spencer, 1972). Hennig (1966-76) records Botanophila striolata mining leaves of Ranunculus, but the record is doubtful (pers. comm. Mike Ackland). Elsewhere the agromyzid Phytomyza ranunculicola is recorded on Ranunculus. Two non-Diptera miners are recorded on Ranunculus in Britain (see below). Elsewhere one British non-Diptera miner is recorded on Ranunculus. |
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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 or petiole miner: Mine with offshoots into the leaf blade. 1b > Leaf-miner 2 > Stem miner: An external stem mine; posterior spiracles each bearing numerous (up to 29) pores, on three arms. Pupating in the mine. Puparium black.
Ophiomyia ranunculicaulis Hering, 1949 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. 3a > Leaf-miner: The larva mines in the petiole, from where it makes corridors fanning out in the blade. The corridors are parallel-sided, little branched and almost full-depth. In fresh mine primary feeding lines are visible. Pupation outside the mine
Phytomyza stolonigena Hering, 1949 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. 3b > Leaf-miner: A primary blotch at the tip of the leaf segment. Details of larva and puparium unknown.
Phytomyza rydeni Hering, 1934 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. 3c > Leaf-miner: A linear mine, normally at the apex of leaf, winding backwards and forwards and thus forming a secondary blotch which quickly turns brown. Pupation internal. Puparium varies in colour from white to brown (black).
Phytomyza fallaciosa Brischke, 1880 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. 3d > Leaf-miner: Long, upper-surface corridor with the frass in relatively large, widely dispersed fragments. Pupation outside the mine; exit slit in lower epidermis (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Phytomyza ranunculivora Hering, 1932 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. 3e > Leaf-miner: A conspicuous white linear mine with frass in closely adjoining grains. Pupation external. Puparium greyish or brown.
Phytomyza ranunculi (Schrank, 1803) [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. 3f > Leaf-miner: Mine short, broad, essentially linear, sometimes with a small brown patch at beginning. Pupation external. Puparium dark brown.
Phytomyza notata Meigen, 1830 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. 3g > Leaf-miner: Full depth, initially a much branched corridor, irregular in width, in the end almost a blotch. The mine has openings by which part of the frass is ejected. The larvae frequently leave the mine to restart elsewhere. Older larva live free and cause window feeding, often erasing their old mines. In Coltsfoot also pseudo-mines are made, when the larva eats away the lower epidermis with the leaf tissue, but spares the dense hair cover.
Phytosciara halterata Lengersdorf, 1926 [Diptera: Sciaridae]. |
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Key for the identification of the mines of British
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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).
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1a > 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).
Cnephasia incertana (Treitschke, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]
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1b > 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.
Orthochaetes insignis (Aube, 1863) [Coleoptera: Curculionidae] |
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1c > Leaf-miner: Large glassy blotch, beginning as a short full depth corridor along the leaf margin Mine in the tip of a leaf segment. The leaf tissue around the mine often turning dark purple. Much, coarse, frass. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Pseudodineura fuscula (Klug, 1816) [Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae] |
| Last updated 07-Feb-2012 Brian Pitkin |  |
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