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RHINANTHUS. Yellow-rattles. [Scrophulariaceae] |
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Two species of Rhinanthus, Greater Yellow-rattle (R. angustifolius) and Yellow-rattle (R. minor) are recorded in Britain. Both are native. Greater Yellow-rattle (R. angustifolius) is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Only one Diptera miner, Phytomyza rostrata, is recorded on Rhinanthus in Britain. Elsewhere the agromyzid Phytomyza rostrata is recorded on Rhinanthus. The agromyzid Phytomyza varipes is recorded feeding in the seed-heads of Brassica in Britain (Spencer, 1972), although he later records the host of this species as Rhinanthus [Scrophulariaceae], and not Brassica (Spencer, 1990). One non-Diptera miner, Apteropeda orbiculata, is recorded on Rhinanthus in Britain (see below). |
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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). 1 > Leaf-miner: Oviposition takes place in an upper leaf and a short mine is formed either in the leaf or stem, but the larva feeds primarily in the stem. Pupating in the stem
Phytomyza rostrata Hering, 1934 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. |
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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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1 > 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). Larva without abdominal legs.
Apteropeda orbiculata (Marsham, 1802) [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae] |
| Last updated 07-Feb-2012 Brian Pitkin |  |
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