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STELLARIA. Chickweeds and Stitchworts. [Caryophyllaceae]

Eight species of Stellaria are recorded in Britain. These include the native Lesser Stitchwort (S. graminea), Greater Stitchwort (S. holostea), Common Chickweed (S. media), Greater Chickweed (S. neglecta), Wood Stitchwort (S. nemorum), Lesser Chickweed (S. pallida), Marsh Stitchwort (S. palustris) and Bog Stitchwort (S. uliginosa). Seven dipterous miners, the agromyzid Amauromyza flavifrons, the anthomyiids Delia echinata, Pegomya flavifrons and Pegomya holosteae, the drosophilids Scaptomyza graminum and Scaptomyza griseola, the ephydrid Hydrellia griseola are recorded on Stellaria in Britain. The agromyzids Liriomyza huidobrensis and Liriomyza trifolii, polyphagous pest species of ornamental and vegetable crops occasionally intercepted at UK points of entry, are recorded on Stellaria. Both species have been found under glass in England and Wales. All populations have been and continue to be eradicated. Elsewhere the polyphagous agromyzids Amauromyza flavifrons, Liromyza bryoniae, Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza strigata and Liriomyza trifolii, Ophiomyia melandricaulis, the anthomyiids Delia echinata, Pegomya flavifrons and Pegomya holosteae, and the drosophilid Scaptomyza graminum are recorded mining Stellaria. Six non-dipterous miners are recorded on Stellaria in Britain (see below).

Stitchwort - Stellaria holostaea

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

#> Details of mine unknown. Scaptomyza griseola (Zetterstedt) [Drosophilidae]. 1> Leaf and stem-mine. 2. -> Leaf-mine. 3. 2> 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]. 3> Mine a very long and straight corridor, only after a change of leaf, blotch-like. Corridor first following leaf margin, turning round at the apex, then blotch like and running towards the leaf base. Frass often indistinctly delimited and faded, blackish green. Pegomya holosteae (Hering) [Anthomyiidae]. -> Upper side blotch mine beginning with a deeper, almost full depth corridor. Frass grains not in thread-like pieces, irregularly scattered. In the large, later blotch indistinct primary and secondary frass lines are found; the frass accumulated in the middle. Mine of Pegomya flavifrons on Silene dioica. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Pegomya flavifrons (Walker) [Anthomyiidae]. -> Corridor-blotch mine. Mine begins as a normally upper surface deep corridor and becomes a blotch lying centrally in the leaf, often touching the leaf petiole, if leaves are small larva may mine across the stem to another leaf. Pupation internal or external, sometimes in a separate pupation mine. Frass partly in grains or streaks but mainly in clumps towards margins of blotch. Scaptomyza graminum (Fallén) [Drosophilidae]. -> 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]. -> Irregularly formed mine, very shallow and as a result, whitish in colour. In broad leaved plants frequently star-shaped and sometimes a very shallow corridor. In grasses the mine frequently starts in the leaf sheath. The frass is finely grained, initially irregularly spread, later in clumps. The larva may mine more than one leaf. Pupation in separate mine (sometimes even on another plant) without frass. Puparium whitish to dark grey Mine of Hydrellia griseola on Glyceria fluitans. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Nederlandse bladmineerders) Hydrellia griseola (Fallén) [Ephydridae].

Non-dipterous miners recorded on Stellaria in Britain Caryocolum blandella (Douglas, 1852) Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae   Caryocolum junctella (Douglas, 1851) Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae     Caryocolum tricolorella (Haworth, 1812) Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae     Coleophora chalcogramella Zeller, 1839 Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae     Coleophora lithargyrinella Zeller, 1849 Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae Coleophora solitariella Zeller, 1849 Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae

Last updated 20-Aug-2008  Brian Pitkin

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