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SPINACIA. Spinach. [Chenopodiaceae]

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) was introduced and is cultivated in Britain. Three dipterous miners, the agromyzid Amauromyza flavifrons and the anthomyiids Delia echinata and Pegomya hyoscyami, are recorded on Spinacia in Britain. The agromyzidsLiriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza sativae and Liriomyza trifolii, pest species of ornamental and vegetable crops occasionally intercepted at UK points of entry, are recorded on Spinacia. Both species have been found under glass in England and Wales. All populations have been and continue to be eradicated. Elsewhere the agromyzids Liriomyza bryoniae, Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza sativae and Liriomyza trifoli, the anthomyiids Delia echinata and Pegomya hyoscyami, and the drosophilid Scaptomyza graminum are recorded mining Spinacia. Although previously recorded as a miner on Spinacia in Britain and elsewhere, Botanophila fugax is a common saprophagous species, the larvae normally feeding in the soil (Griffiths, pers. comm.). No non-dipterous miners are recorded on Spinacia in Britain.

Key for the identification of the known Diptera mines in Britain.

1> Leaf and stem mine. Apart from mining leaves the stems are excavated. Oviposition takes place on the tips of shoots. The larva at first mines strip-like full depth corridors in the apical leaves, going then into the stem, which it hollows out, so that it becomes translucent. It then searches out leaves further down in which initially it mines depositing frass in strips, but then in blotches. The corridors often lie in one half of the leaf and can be branched. In the blotches the frass is irregularly scattered. Pupation is in the hollow stem or in the ground. Delia echinata (Séguy) [Anthomyiidae]. -> Large blotch mine, often with several larvae, beginning with a short deeper corridor at a single egg shell on the surface of the leaf. The broad deep corridor later ends in a blotch but can be recognised (beneath the blotch) by its greater depth. Mine predominantly dorsal or ventral, greenish in transmitted light. Frass grains irregularly scattered except in the initial corridor. Pegomya hyoscyami (Panzer) [Anthomyiidae]. ->A white linear-blotch mine, the linear section sometimes not detectable as it becomes enveloped in later blotch. Puparium reddish brown Mines of Amauromyza flavifrons on Silene dioica. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Amauromyza (Trilobomyza) flavifrons (Meigen) [Agromyzidae].

Last updated 05-Aug-2008  Brian Pitkin

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