The leaf and stem  mines of British flies and other insects by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds


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RUMEX. Docks and Sorrel. [Polygonaceae]


Thirteen species and numerous hybrids of Rumex are recorded as native to Britain. These include Common Sorrel (R. acetosa), Curled Dock (R. crispus), Water Dock (R. hydrolapathum), Northern Dock (R. longifolius) and Broad-leaved Dock (R. obtusifolius).

Shore Dock (R. rupestris) is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Three Diptera miners, the anthomyiids Pegomya bicolor and Pegomya haemorrhoum, are recorded on Rumex in Britain.

The anthomyiid Pegomya solennis is recorded on Rumex by Ackland in Chandler (1978), but it is not clear whether this host association is British or Foreign.

The scathophagid Norellisoma spinimana is a stem-borer on Rumex.

The larvae of the drosophilid Scaptomyza pallida have been bred from Rumex sulicifolius (Adults in BMNH), although it is not clear whether these were mining.

The British agromyzid Amauromyza monfalconensis is recorded as a stem-miner of Rumex, although this host record is not based on British specimens.

Elsewhere the polyphagous agromyzid Liriomyza strigata is recorded on Rumex.

The agromyzid Liriomyza sativae, a polyphagous pest species of ornamental and vegetable crops occasionally intercepted at UK points of entry, is recorded on Rumex.

Four non-Diptera miners are recorded on Rumex (see below).




Key for the identification of the known Diptera mines on
Rumex
in Great Britain and Ireland




#> Details of mine unknown.

On Rumex in Britain and elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and Europe. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland.

Norellisoma spinimana (Fallén) [Diptera: Scathophagidae].

1> Leaf mine. Large upper side blotch or blister mine, which can start with a short corridor. In small leaves the mine can be full depth in places. Often several larvae in a mine; frass irregularly scattered in large lumps. Pupation external.

On Persicaria, Polygonum, Rumex and possibly Begonia (record ambiguous) in Britain and in addition Begonia [Begoniaceae] and other genera of Polygonaceae elsewhere. Widespread in Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in Europe. Also recorded in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Syria, Israel, Korea, China and Japan.

Pegomya bicolor (Wiedemann) [Diptera: Anthomyiidae].

-> Leaf mine. Mine without spiral or tightly wound loops. Mine shallow, dorsal or ventral, greenish in transmitted light (only in small leaves sometimes full depth, but then the frass, when corridor-like, always in separate grains). One or more egg shells at the beginning of the mine on the ventral surface of the leaf. Details of puparium unknown.

On Rumex in Britain and elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and Europe. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland.

Pegomya haemorrhoum (Zetterstedt) [Diptera: Anthomyiidae].



Non-Diptera miners recorded on Rumex in Britain


Adscita statices (Linnaeus, 1758) Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae UKMoths Bladmineerders van Europa Fauna Europaea
Calybites phasianipennella (Hübner, 1813) Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae British Leafminers UKMoths Bladmineerders van Europa Fauna Europaea
Cnephasia incertana (Treitschke, 1835) Lepidoptera: Tortricidae UKMoths Bladmineerders van Europa Fauna Europaea
Enteucha acetosae (Stainton, 1854) Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae British Leafminers UKMoths Fauna Europaea



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Last updated 10-Aug-2010  Brian Pitkin