SOLANUM. Bittersweet, Nightshades and Potato. [Solanaceae]

Twenty-eight species of Solanum are recorded in Britain. These include the native Black Nightshade (S. nigrum) and Bittersweet (S. dulcamara) and the introduced Potato (S. tuberosum) and Aubergine (S. melongena).

Lycopersicon esculentum is treated as Solanum lycopersicum by Stace (2010).

Four Diptera miners, the agromyzid Liriomyza bryoniae, the anthomyiids Pegomya dulcamarae, Pegomya hyoscyami are recorded on Solanum in Britain, although those of Pegomya hyoscyami are doubtful.

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

The polyphagous agromyzids Liriomyza sativae and Liriomyza trifolii have been recorded in quarantine in Britain (Pitkin and Plant in British leafminers).

Elsewhere the polyphagous agromyzids Liriomyza bryoniae, Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza sativae, Liriomyza strigata and Liriomyza trifolii and the anthomyiids Pegomya dulcamarae and Pegomya interuptella are recorded mining Solanum.

Three non-Diptera miners are recorded on Solanum in Britain and elsewhere (see below).

Key for the identification of the mines of British
non-Diptera recorded on Solanum

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).

1a > The larvae forms large whitish or translucent blotches (UKMoths). Rather large, untidy blotch, full-depth for most of its surface, very transparent, without feeding lines and without association with midrib or leaf margin. The larva makes several mines. Often only its anterior part is inserted in the mine, that remains free of frass then. Pupation outside the mine in a silk cocoon (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Atropa belladona and Solanum dulcamara in Britain and Atropa belladona, Physalis alkekengi and Solanum dulcamara elsewhere. Distributed mainly in the southern half of England, with a few scattered records further north in Britain. Widespread in conental Europe.

Acrolepia autumnitella Curtis, 1838 [Lepidoptera: Acrolepiidae]

1b > Large, glassy, irregular blotches without a recognisable preceding corridor. Frass in a black mass, mainly in the oldest part of the mine. The larvae move several times, and can also bore in the stem and underground parts (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Mine of Phthorimaea operculella on Solanum nigrum Image: Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Recorded on Solanum in Britain and Hyoscyamus, Lycopersicon, Nicotiana and Solanum elsewhere. Distribution in Britain unknown. Widespread in continental Europe.

Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller, 1873) [Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae] .

1c > Young larvae bore in the midrib that turns somewhat pale and translucent; from here they make rather small, brownish, wrinkled, not very transparant blotches. Later they can make blotches that extend further from the midrib, but often that rather soon take on a boring habit, or start to live freely upon the plant. Pupation external (Bladmineerders van Europa). The mine also is illustrated in UKMoths.

Recorded on Solanum in Britain and elsewhere. Fairly common species throughout much of Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe including Belgium, Danish mainland, French mainland and The Netherlands.

Scrobipalpa costella (Humphreys and Westwood, 1845) [Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae]