Trifolium [Fabaceae]

TRIFOLIUM. Clovers and Hop Trefoil. [Fabaceae]

Seventy species of Trifolium are recorded in Britain. These include Hop Trefoil (T. campestre), Strawberry Clover (T. frageriferum), Alsike Clover (T. hybridum), Crimson Clover (T. incarnatum), Sulphur Clover (T. ochroleucon), Hungarian Clover (T. pannonicum), Red Clover (T. pratense) and White Clover (T. repens).

Three Diptera miners, the agromyzids Agromyza frontella, Agromyza nana and Liriomyza congesta, are recorded on Trifolium in Britain.

Elsewhere the agromyzids Agromyza frontella, Agromyza nana, Chromatomyia horticola, Liriomyza bryoniae, Liriomyza congesta, Liriomyza strigata, Liriomyza trifolii and Phytomyza brischkei, the drosophilid Scaptomyza flava and the ephydrid Hydrellia griseola are recorded mining Trifolium.

White clover
Trifolium repens

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

The coleophorids Coleophora deauratella and Coleophora mayrella are recorded as seed-feeders on Trifolium in Britain.

Elsewhere one non-dipteorus British miner is recorded on Trifolium (see below).

Key for the identification of the mines of British Diptera recorded on
Lotus, Medicago and Trifolium

Note: Diptera larvae may live in a corridor mine, a corridor-blotch mine, or a blotch mine, but never in a case, a rolled or folded leaf, a tentiform mine or sandwiched between two more or less circular leaf sections in later instars. Pupation never in a cocoon. All mining Diptera larvae are leg-less maggots without a head capsule (see examples). They never have thoracic or abdominal legs. They do not have chewing mouthparts, although they do have a characteristic cephalo-pharyngeal skeleton (see examples), usually visible internally through the body wall. The larvae lie on their sides within the mine and use their pick-like mouthparts to feed on plant tissue. In some corridor miners frass may lie in two rows on alternate sides of the mine. In order to vacate the mine the fully grown larva cuts an exit slit, which is usually semi-circular (see Liriomyza huidobrensis video). The pupa is formed within the hardened last larval skin or puparium and as a result sheaths enclosing head appendages, wings and legs are not visible externally (see examples).

1a >Stem-miner: A narrow, inconspicuous stem mine. Pupation at the end of the mine. Puparium yellowish or completely black, anterior spiracles projecting through epidermis (Spencer, 1976: 64). Fine, upper- or lower-surface corridor, ending in a thick vein. From there the mine extends finally to the rind of the stem. There also the pupation takes place, usually not far from the root collar. Mines in the stem rind often are conspicuous through a red discoloration (Bladmineerders van Europa).

On Achillea, Achillea millefolium and possibly Anthemis, Matricaria and Medicago sativa in Britain. In Britain widespread in south, not uncommon. On Anthemis, Achillea, Artemisia, Aster, Centaurea, Clinopodium, Crepis, Hieracium, Matricaria, Reichardia, Solidago, Tanacetum, Tripleurospermum, Medicago, Satureja and Stachys, but not on Lotus or Trifolium, elsewhere. Widespread in continental Europe.

Ophiomyia curvipalpis (Zetterstedt, 1848) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

1b > Leaf mine.

2a > Initially a linear mine running towards apex of leaf which then turns back in the area of the mid-rib, developing into a blotch. Puparium reddish brown.

Mines of Agromyza frontella on Medicago sativa
Image: Whitney Cranshaw (Bladmineerders van Europa)

On Medicago, Melilotus and Trifolium in Britain and elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe.

Agromyza frontella (Rondani, 1875) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

2b > A short narrow linear mine not associated with the margin, which then develops into a conspicuous white blotch centred on the mid-rib. At the end of feeding the larva lies for one or two days along the mid-rib. Pupation external. Puparium reddish

On Medicago, Melilotus and Trifolium in Britain and in addition other genera of Fabaceae elsewhere. Common and widely distributed in England. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread and common throughout Europe.

Agromyza nana Meigen, 1830 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

2c > Leaf-miner: Mine linear, whitish, both upper and lower surface. Pupation internal, at the end of the mine with the anterior spiracles projecting through the epidermis (Spencer, 1976: 433). Upper-surface, less often lower-surface corridor. Frass in isolated grains. Pupation within the mine, in a, usually lower-surface, pupal chamber (Bladmineerders van Europa). A long whitish upper surface corridor, which eventually goes lower surface (British leafminers).

Two highly polyphagous species of Chromatomyia, with indistinguishable mines, have been recorded in Britain. These are syngenesiae (Hardy) and horticola (Goureau) which can only be distinguished by the male genitalia. Both are polyphagous and widespread in Britain and elsewhere, although syngenesiae is almost entirely restricted to Asteraceae (see also 'atricornis').

Chromatomyia horticola is recorded on 55 plant genera in 19 families but not yet on Trifolium in Britain

Chromatomya syngenesiae is recorded in Britain on 27 plant genera in the family Asteraceae and many more genera elsewhere, but not yet on Trifolium in Britain.

Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau, 1851) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].
OR
Chromatomyia syngenesiae Hardy, 1849 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

2d > An upper surface linear mine with frass in conspicuous greenish strips, largely alternating at each side of the channel. Puparium yellow

On numerous genera of Fabaceae, including Trifolium, in Britain and elsewhere. Widespread in Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland and widespread and common throughout most of Europe

Liriomyza congesta (Becker, 1903) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

2e > A long, narrow, winding corridor running towards the midrib, widening to a blotch. Pupation usually in the soil, less often in the leaf (and then generally not in the mine itself but in a small separated mine, that may even be made in the petiole)

Mine of Scaptomyza graminum on Cerastium glomeratum
Image: Jean-Yves Baugnée (Bladmineerders van Europa)

On ? Amaranthus, ? Rorippa, Cerastium, Lychnis, Myosoton, Silene, Stellaria, Atriplex, ? Anthyllis, ? Lupinus, ? Medicago, ? Montia and ? Antirrhinum, but not yet on Trifolium, in Britain and Amaranthus, Lepidium, Moricandia, ? Rorippa, Agrostemma, Arenaria, Cerastium, Coronaria, Corrigiola, Cucubalus, Dianthus, Gypsophila, Lychnis, Moehringia, Myosoton, Polycarpon, Saponaria, Silene, Spergularia, Stellaria, Vaccaria, Viscaria, Atriplex, Beta, Chenopodium, Obione, Salicornia, Spinacia, Anthyllis, Lupinus, Medicago, Allium, Montia, Portulaca and Antirrhinum elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe.

Scaptomyza graminum (Fallén, 1823) [Diptera: Drosophilidae].

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

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 > Leaf-miner: The first generation initially forms an unmistakable leaf-mine on Anthyllis vulneraria, but the second generation feeds on the flowers. Feeding signs on other plants vary in appearance. Larvae can move between sewn leaves, and more than one larva may be found together (UKMoths). Larvae in a small full depth blotch, often with extensions. Frass concentrated in one corner of the mine. The mining activities may cause the leaf to roll inwards. Older larvae live free among spun leaves, but still they may make then full depth mines by feeding on the leaf tissue from a small opening (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Anthyllis, Medicago, Onobrychis, Ononis and Trifolium in Britain and Anthyllis, Chamaecytisus, Coronilla, Cysisus, Dorycnium, Galega, Glycine, Hymenocarpus, Lathyrus, Lotus, Medicago, Melilotus, Onobrychis, Ononis, Ornithopus, Oxytropis, Phaseolus, Psoralea, Trifolium, Trigonella and Vicia elsewhere. Britain including the Channel Is. and Northern Ireland. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Aproaerema anthyllidella (Hübner, 1813) [Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae].

1b > 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 Trifolium, in Britain. Recorded on numerous genera and species of several plant families, including Trifolium, elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded from the Channel Is.

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

1c > Leaf-miner: The mine begins as a tiny, lower-surface epidermal corridor. Only after the first moult the larva starts feeding on the leaf parenchyma. The first result is a corridor overlying the midrib. From here branches enter the leaf disk; gradually they widen and merge, laeving in the end almost the entire leaf mined out. Almost all frass is ejected. The larva can leave its mine and make a new one elsewhere. Pupation witin the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Ononis and Trifolium in Britain and elsewhere. Britain including East Kent and North Hants. Widespread in Continental Europe.

Parectopa ononidis (Zeller, 1839) [Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae].

1d > Leaf-miner: Lower surface tentiform mine that occupies only part of a leaflet. In full grown leaves the mine is strongly inflated and is largely hidden by the leaf. Unlike other species the entire leaflet is not mined out (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Ononis and Trifolium and Lathyrus, Medicago, Ononis, Trifolium and Vicia elsewhere. North Ebudes. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Phyllonorycter insignitella (Zeller, 1846) [Lepidoptera: Incurvariidae].

1e > Leaf-miner: The mine is underside, occupying the whole leaflet, which turns down at edges (British leafminers). Lower surface tentiform mine that occupies an entire leaflet; lower epidermis strongly folded. Fully developed mines are strongly inflated and the leaflet is so completely folded over the mine that the latter becomes practically invisible. In this stage the larva has consumed also all tissue in the roof of the mine, making the mine very conspicuous (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Lathyrus, Medicago, Trifolium and Vicia in Britain and Lathyrus, Lotus, Medicago, Trifolium and Vicia elsewhere. England, Ireland and continental Europe.

Phyllonorycter nigrescentella (Logan, 1851) [Lepidoptera: Incurvariidae].


	Last updated 02-Feb-2012 Brian Pitkin