Vicia [Fabaceae]

VICIA. Vetches. [Fabaceae]

Thirty-five species of Vicia are recorded in Britain. Eleven of these are native species. These include the native Tufted Vetch (V. cracca), Hairy Tare (V. hirsuta), Common Vetch (V. sativa), Bush Vetch (V. sepium), Wood Vetch (V. sylvatica) and Smooth Tare (V. tetraspermum) and the introduced Purple Vetch (V. benghalensis), Broad Bean (V. faba), Narbonne Vetch (V. narbonensis), Fine-leaved Vetch (V. tenifolia) and Fodder Vetch (V. villosa).

Ten Diptera miners, the agromyzids Agromyza bicophaga, Agromyza felleri, Agromyza marionae, Agromyza vicifoliae, Agromyza viciae, Chromatomyia horticola, Liriomyza congesta, Liriomyza strigata, Liriomyza pisivora and Ophiomyia orbiculata, are recorded on Vicia in Britain.

The agromyzid Agromyza erythrocephala is recorded galling stems of Vicia cracca in Britain and the agromyzid Melanagromyza fabae is recorded feeding and pupating in the roots of Vicia in Britain.

Vetch
Vicia sp.

The polyphagous agromyzid Liriomyza huidobrensis has been recorded in quarantine in Britain (Pitkin and Plant in British leafminers).

Elsewhere the agromyzids Agromyza bicophaga, Agromyza erythrocephala, Agromyza felleri, Agromyza nana, Agromyza vicifoliae, Chromatomyia horticola, Liriomyza bryoniae, Liriomyza congesta, Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza sativae, Liriomyza strigata, Liriomyza trifolii and Phytoliriomyza variegata are recorded mining Vicia.

Two non-Diptera miners are recorded on Vicia in Britain (see below).

Elsewhere four additional British non-Diptera miners are recorded on Vicia (see below).

Key for the identification of the mines of British Diptera recorded on
Vicia

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 mine.

1b > Leaf mine.

2a > A long external whitish stem mine, feeding downwards from a leaf stalk or part of the upper stem. Pupation external. Puparium yellowish

On Vicia cracca and Vicia sylvatica in Britain. Only known from Hunts and Cambridge in Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Lithuania and Spanish mainland in continental Europe.

Agromyza marionae Griffiths, 1963 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

2b > An external stem mine. Pupation in the stem, near or even below ground level, with the anterior spiracles projecting through the epidermis. Puparium reddish brown

On Lathyrus, Pisum and Vicia in Britain and Lathyrus and Pisum elsewhere. Widespread in the south of Britain. Widespread in much of Europe.

Ophiomyia orbiculata (Hendel, 1931) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

3a > Leaf-miner: A distinctive mine primarily above mid-rib, with irregular short lateral offshoots into leaf blade. Pupation external (Spencer, 1972: 51 (fig. 172), 55; Spencer, 1976: 270, 271 (fig. 486)). Branched, whitish, upper-surface corridor; main axis overlying the midrib; side branches overlying the main lateral veins. (In Campanula and Phyteuma the mine is much less branched, sometimes nothing more than a corridor on top of the midrib). Frass in rather long strings. Usually the mines begins as a long and narrow, shallow, tortuous lower-surface corridor that ends upon the midrib but otherwise is not associated with the leaf venation. Often this initial corridor is filled with callus, and then even less conspicuous. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa). A linear mine on the upper surface, usually following the midrib and showing side branches along the veins. The frass is in strings (British leafminers).

On more than 40 host genera in 15 families in Britai including Vicia. Widespread throughout Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Liriomyza strigata (Meigen, 1830) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

3b > Mine not primarily associated with mid-rib.

4a > Mine beginning linear, later becoming a primary blotch.

On Vicia cracca and Vicia sylvatica in Britain. On Vicia cracca, Vicia sylvatica and other Vicia species elsewhere. Uncommon in Britain - Surrey and Warwick. Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, Sardinia and Sweden in continental Europe.

Agromyza bicophaga Hering, 1925 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

4b > A primary blotch-mine, which entirely fills a leaf and usually shows some reddish colouration; frass in distinct grains.

On Vicia sativa and Vicia sepium in Britain. On Vicia sepium elsewhere. Only recorded in Surrey and Sussex in Britain. Widespread in continental Europe.

Agromyza felleri Hering, 1941 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

4c > Mine initially linear, adjoining margin of leaf, later developing into a blotch, always on the mid-rib. Puparium yellowish-red

Mines of Agromyza vicifoliae on Vicia
Image: Rob Edmunds (British leafminers)

On Vicia cracca, Vicia hirsuta, Vicia sativa and Vicia sepium in Britain. On Vicia cracca, Vicia hirsuta, and Vicia sepium elsewhere. Widespread but local in Britain. Widespread throughout much of Europe.

Agromyza vicifoliae Hering, 1932 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

4d > Oviposition in the tip of a leaflet; this causes an intensive red colouring of the distal part of the leaflet. From there a primary blotch develops, that in the end occupies almost the entire leaflet. At first the mine is upper-surface, but gradually deeper parts of the mine are eaten away, leading to a very transparent mine. Frass fine-grained, quickly deliquescent. Pupation outside the mine

On Vicia in Britain. On Vicia grandiflora, Vicia hirsuta, Vicia sativa and Vicia sepium elsewhere. Distribution in Britain unknown. Europe including Germany, Poland, Switzerlandand Norway.

Agromyza viciae Kaltenbach, 1872 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]

4e > 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 in Britain including Vicia 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 Vicia in Britain.

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

4f > 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 Vicia, 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].

4g > A long linear mine, normally starting on lower surface, frass in black strips alternately at sides of mine.

On Lathryus, Pisum and Vicia in Britain and Lathryus and Pisum elsewhere. Only known from Kent, Surrey, Herts and Warwick in Britain. Widespread in continental Europe.

Liriomyza pisivora Hering, 1957 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

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

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)

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

2 > Leaf-miner and case-bearer: Larva in a huge (19 mm) shining black tubular silken case; mouth angle 60°. The end of the case is strongly rolled in (remnant of the youth case) and bears a small pallium (Bladmineerders van Europa) The final case is the largest of any coleophorid in the UK, being 19mm long. The anal end of this case incorporates the remains of the spiral first case and is hooded in a pallium (British leafminers).

Recorded on Genista in Britain and Chamaespartium, Genista and Vicia elsewhere. Southern England. Widespread in continental Europe.

Coleophora vibicella (Hübner, 1813) [Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae].

3a > 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).

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].

3b > 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 Vicia, in Britain. Recorded on numerous genera and species of several plant families, including Vicia,, Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded from the Channel Is.

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

3c > Leaf-miner: A blotch mine is formed with a small area of browning of the leaf around the egg (British leafminers). Flat, upper-surface, oval blotch without a preceding gallery, with clear amounts of greenish frass. Sometimes more than one mine in a leaflet, that can merge. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Vicia in Britain and Lathyrus and Vicia elsewhere. Britain (Karsholt and van Nieukerken in Fauna Europaea) including Dorset.

Cosmopterix schmidiella Frey, 1856 [Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae].

3d > 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].

3e > 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