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RUMEX. Docks and Sorrel. [Polygonaceae] |
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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. Seven British miners are recorded on Rumex. The scathophagid Norellisoma spinimana is a stem-borer on Rumex. The moth Coleophora hydrolapathella is recorded feeding in the seeds of Rumex hydrolapathum (see British leafminers). A key to the European miners recorded on Rumex is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. |
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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). See Key to non-Diptera. |
1a > Leaf-miner: 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. The mine is illustrated in British Leafminers. Large blotch, theoretically upper-surface, but often virtually full depth, often preceded by a short, broad corridor. Usually several larvae in a mine. The larvae can leave their mine and make a new one elsewhere. At the start of the first mine a small group of oval, whitish, egg shells. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa). |
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Pegomya bicolor (Wiedemann) [Diptera: Anthomyiidae]. |
1b > Leaf-miner: 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. |
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Pegomya haemorrhoum (Zetterstedt, 1838) [Diptera: Anthomyiidae]. |
1c > Leaf-miner: Linear mine, becoming a blotch. Two or more larvae feeding together. Frass in lines. At the start of the mine on the leaf under surface a group of about 5 oval white egg shells (just 1 on the small leaves of Rumex acetosella). The emerging larvae initally work shoulder to shoulder in making a broad corridor. Later they split up, making a large blotch, that often is enlarged even more by fusion with other mines. The mine is practically full depth. Frass blackish-green, often deliquescent. The larvae can leave a mine and restart elsewhere. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa). The mine starts as a short corridor on the lower surface and then becomes a large upper surface blotch. Several larvae can mine together (British leafminers). |
 Pegomya solennis puparium Image: © Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa) |
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Pegomya solennis (Meigen, 1826) [Diptera: Anthomyiidae]. |
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Key for the identification of the known mines of British |
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 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). |
1a> Leaf-miner: The larva initially mines a leaf of Common sorrel (Rumex acetosa) in July and August, and then feeds externally on lower leaves until May, when it pupates in a cocoon near the ground among vegetation (UKMoths). Young larvae make a number of rather large, untidy full depth mines. The mines contain little or no frass. The lower-surface opening, by which the larva has entered the mine, is irregularly roundish. Older larvae live free on the plant (Bladmineerders van Europa). The mine is illustrated in British Leafminers. |
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Adscita statices (Linnaeus, 1758) [Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae]. |
1b> Leaf-miner: Initially a gallery is formed, this turning into a blotch, and later two successive conical leaf-rolls (UKMoths). Initially a pale, later brown, usually lower-surface blotch. The blotch is preceded by an epidermal corridor, but that may be obliterated by the later blotch. Silk at the inside of the mine causes it to buckle up a bit and fold. The reddish brown frass is accumulated in a corner of the mine. The older larva leaves the mine and continues feeding inside an untidy cone, made by cutting off a strip of leaf tissue and stitching it in place with silk (Bladmineerders van Europa). |
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Calybites phasianipennella (Hübner, 1813) [Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae]. |
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1c > 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).
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Cnephasia incertana (Treitschke, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]. |
1d > Leaf-miner: Oviposition at the leaf underside, usually near a vein. The mine is a narrow, hardly widening, corridor that makes about 5 whole of half circles closely around the egg. The leaf tissue around th mine is intensely reddened; often several mines in a leaf. Frass in a narrow central line. The gallery starts in tight spirals, turning leaf red (British leafminers). The larva moves away in an irregular gallery (UKMoths). Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa). Pupation on detritus in a cocoon (British leafminers). |
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Enteucha acetosae (Stainton, 1854) [Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae]. |
| Last updated 26-Jan-2018 Brian Pitkin |  |
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