STACHYS. Woundworts. [Lamiaceae]

Fourteen species of Stachys are recorded in Britain. These include the native Field Woundwort (S. arvensis), Downy Woundwort (S. germanica), Marsh Woundwort (S. palustris), Limestone Woundwort (S. alpina), Betony (S. officinalis), Hedge Woundwort (S. sylvatica) and Hybrid Woundwort (S. x ambigua).

Stachys officinalis is treated as Betonica officinalis by Stace (2010).

Limestone Woundwort (S. alpina) and Downy Woundwort (S. germanica) are protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Betony (S. officinalis) is protected in Northern Ireland under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order, 1985.

Three Diptera miners, the agromyzids Amauromyza labiatarum, Amauromyza morionella and Ophiomyia labiatarum, are recorded on Stachys in Britain.

Four non-Diptera miners are recorded on Stachys in Britain (see below).

Elsewhere three additional British non-Diptera miners are recorded on Stachys (see below).

N.B. The key to mines below also include mines recorded on Ballota, Lamiastrum, Stachys and Teucrium (Lamiaceae).

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

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 > Miner and case bearer. The larva lives outside the mine, protected by a case, and feeds on the underlying plant tisses via a hole cut in the epidermis. Mine does not contain frass (Coleophora species)

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1b > Miner, but not a case-bearer, although it may live sandwiched between two more or less circular sections cut from the leaf in later instars e.g. Incurvaria species. The larva lives mainly inside the mine. Mine usually contains frass

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2a > Leaf-miner and case-bearer: Blotch mines reaching the edge of the leaf, initially pale green turning brownish white, are caused by the larva feeding on the underside of a leaf (UKMoths). The fully developed case is slender, shining black brown, about 9 mm long. Towards the end a narrow, transparent yellowish ventral keel. Mouth angle 50-60°. Cases on the leaf underside (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Calamintha, Clinopodium, Glechoma, ? Lycopus, Mentha, Nepeta, Origanum, Prunella, Salvia, Stachys and Thymus in Britain plus Melissa, Melittis and Satureja but not Calamintha elsewhere. Throughout England and Wales and a few places in Scotland. Widespread in continental Europe.

 

Coleophora albitarsella Zeller, 1849 [Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae].

2b > Leaf-miner and case-bearer: The mines are large and obvious on the upper side of the leaf, betraying the larva or larvae on the lower side (UKMoths). Cases are broad and flat - being very hairy from the texture of the leaf (British leafminers). Immediately after emergence the larva makes a full depth, quickly widening, corridor, with frass as small grains in a broad central band. Finally results in a blotch of 2 x 5 mm, from which the young case is cut. The fully developed case is a hairy, greyish brown to silver grey lobe case case of about 1 cm long, with a clearly laterally compressed end; the mouth angle is about 90°. The case is difficult to separate from that of C. ochripennella (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Ballota, Lamium, Marrubium and Stachys in Britain and Ballota, Lamiun, Marrubium, Phlomis and Stachys elsewhere. Widespread in England in Britain. Widespread in continental Europe.

 

Coleophora lineolea (Haworth, 1828) [Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae].

2c > Leaf-miner and case-bearer: The larva constructs a distinctive dark brown case from fragments of leaf (UKMoths). The case is illustrated in British leafminers. Dark brown, bivalved, composite leaf case, about 10 mm long, and composed of 6-8 ringlets (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Stachys in Britain and elsewhere. Now a very local species in Britain, it was formerly more widespread but generally is restricted to a few localities in southern England. Widespread in continental Europe.

Coleophora wockeella Zeller, 1849 [Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae].

3a > Leaf-miner: Rather long corridor winding through the leaf, regularly crossing itself. The corridor later widens considerably. Frass normally in a narrow central line, but may also lie along the side, or be absent. The larva regularly leaves a mine and restarts elsewhere (Bladmineerders van Europa). Larva without abdominal legs.

Recorded on Lamiastrum galeobdolon and Lamium album, but not yet on Stachys, in Britain plus Ajuga reptans, Clinopodium vulgare, Lamium, Prunella, Stachys, Teucrium, Plantago major, Veronica, chamaedrys and Veronica longifolia elsewhere. Widespread in England and continental Europe.

Apteropeda globosa (Illiger, 1794) [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae].

3b > 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.

Recorded on numerous genera and species in several plant families, including Stachys, in Britain and elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe.

Apteropeda orbiculata (Marsham, 1802) [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae].

3c > 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).

Recorded on numerous genera and species of several plant families, but not yet on Stachys, in Britain. Recorded on numerous genera and species of several plant families, including Stachys, elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded from the Channel Is.

Cnephasia incertana (Treitschke, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae].

3d > Leaf-miner: Upper-surface, transparent blotch that begins at the leaf margin, generally at the underside of the leaf. Oviposition site covered by a shining brown drop of hardened secretion. Frass in grains or thread fragments (Bladmineerders van Europa). Larva without abdominal legs.

Recorded on Glechoma, but not yet on Stachys, in Britain and ? Clinopodium, Glechoma, ? Marrubium, Mentha, ? Nepeta and ? Stachys elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe.