Ulex [Fabaceae]

ULEX. Gorses. [Fabaceae]

Three species of Ulex, all native, are recorded in Britain, Gorse (U. europaeus), Western Gorse (U. gallii) and Dwarf Gorse (U. minor).

Only one miner, the agromyzid Agromyza johannae, is recorded on Ulex in Britain and elsewhere.

No non-Diptera miners are recorded on Ulex in Britain.

One non-Diptera miner is recorded on Ulex in Britain and elsewhere (see below).

The coleophorid moth, Coleophora albicosta, is recorded feeding in the seeds of Ulex in Britain.

Gorse
Ulex europaeus

Key for the identification of the mines of British Diptera recorded on
Genista, Spartium and Ulex

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 > Initially a linear mine, normally adjoining leaf-margin and running towards apex of leaf, then turning and widening into a blotch in area of mid-rib. Puparium reddish-orange

On Cytisus, Genista, Lupinus, Spartium and Ulex in Britain and elsewhere. Common in gardens in Britain where Cytisus is frequently cultivated. Widespread in continental Europe.

Agromyza johannae Meijere, 1924 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

1b > Leaf mine. An initial linear mine, which later develops into a blotch.

On Genista and Spartium in Britain and elsewhere. Widespread in southern Britain and continental Europe.

Agromyza pulla Meigen, 1830 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

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

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).

Leaf-miner: A rarely found mine. The larva feeds in the epidermis and in this mine a clear area can be seen at the top of the mine, with frass deposited lower down (British leafminers).

Recorded on Ulex in Britain. Hosts unknown elsewhere. Widespread in southern England. Continental Europe including French mainland, Greek mainland, Italian mainland.

Phyllonorycter ulicicolella (Stainton, 1851) [ Lepidoptera: Gracillaridae]


	Last updated 02-Feb-2012 Brian Pitkin