The leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects
 

(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera)

by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds

 

TETRAGONOLOBUS. Dragon's-teeth. [Fabaceae]


One species of Tetragonolobus is recorded in Britain.

Two British miners are recorded on Tetragonolobus.

A key to the European miners recorded on Lotus including Tetragonolobus is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa.



Key for the identification of the known mines of British
insects (Diptera and non-Diptera) recorded on Tetragonolobus


1a > Leaf-miner: The frass is arranged in a spiral and a circular blotch is formed. Egg at the underside of the leaf. The mine is an upper-surface blotch without anything like a preceding corridor. The blotch is about circular, but my have broad lobes. Black frass grains lie in indistinct arcs or spirals, glued to the upper epidermis, and forming a cark central patch. The larva can leave a mined leaf, and restart elsewhere. Pupation external. Cocoon spun beneath the leaf.

On Lotus, but not yet on Tetragonolobus, in Britain and Coronilla, Dorycnium, Lotus, Securigera and Tetragonolobus elsewhere. South-east England. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Leucoptera lotella (Stainton, 1859) [Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae].

1b > Leaf-miner: Egg at the upperside or underside of the leaf. The mine begins as a long narrow corridor with a linear frass line. The corridor abruptly widens into a blotch that in the end may occupy almost an entire leaflet. The blotch mostly starts at the base of the leaflet, and here also most frass is concentrated. Pupation generally within the mine; in rare cases the larva leaves the mine by an exit slit in the lower epidermis.

On Lotus, but not yet on Tetragonolobus, in Britain and Dorycnium, Lotus and Tetragonolobus elsewhere. Britain including North Devon, North Hants and South Hants. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Trifurcula eurema (Tutt, 1899) [Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae].

 


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