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

  

Fenella nigrita Westwood, 1839
[Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae]

Tenthredo intercus Villers, 1789. [Unavailable primary homonym]
Fenella nigrita Westwood, 1839 [not 1840]
Fenella nitrita Westwood, 1839 [not 1840]
Melinia minutissima O. G. Costa, 1858. [Unavailable]
Fenella minutissima (A. Costa, 1859). Fauna del Regno di Napoli. Imenotteri. Parte III. - Trivellanti Sessiliventri. [Tentredinidei] [1859-1860]: 1-116
Melina minutissima O. G. Costa, 1859. [Unavailable]
Melinia minutissima A. Costa, 1859
Fenella tormentillae (Healy, 1868). The Entomologist 4 (58): 140-141
Phyllotoma tormentillae Healy, 1868
Fenusa pygmaea Healy, 1869. The Entomologist 4 (68): 299-300
Phyllotoma pygmaea (Healy, 1869)
Fenella agrimoniae Brischke, 1888. Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Danzig, N. S., 7 [1888-1891](1): 6-12.

Leaf miner: Full depth transparent blotch without a clear preceding corridor, quickly and strongly widening from the start. Frass in sausage-shaped granules. Often several leaflets of a composite leaf each have a mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).The mine is also illustrated in British leafminers.

Larva: The larvae of sawflies have a head capsule, chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles, six thoracic legs and abdominal legs (although they may be reduced) (see examples).

The larva is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa and British leafminers.

Fenella nigrita larva
Fenella nigrita larva
Image: © Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Pupa: The pupae of sawflies have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths.

Adult: Details unknown.

Comments: Potentilla palustris is treated as Comarum palustre (Marsh Cinquefoil) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Rosaceae        
Agrimonia       British leafminers
Agrimonia eupatoria Agrimony British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Potentilla fruticosus Shrubby Cinquefoil   Pitkin & Plant
Potentilla reptans Creeping Cinquefoil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Rubus fruticosus Bramble / Blackberry   British leafminers
Rubus fruticosus Bramble / Blackberry   Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Rosaceae        
Agrimonia eupatoria Agrimony British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Agrimonia procera Fragrant Agrimony British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Agrimonia repens     Bladmineerders van Europa
Aremonia agrimonioides Bastard Agrimony   Bladmineerders van Europa
Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Fragaria vesca Wild Strawberry British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla anserina Silverweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla argentea Hoary Cinquefoil   Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla argyrophylla     Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla crantzii Alpine Cinquefoil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla erecta Tormentil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla fulgens     Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla palustris Marsh Cinquefoil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla pensylvanica     Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla reptans Creeping Cinquefoil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla tabernaemontani Spring Cinquefoil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Bivoltine: summer and autumn (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: Unknown.

Comments: Full synonymy and references are listed in ECatSym - Electronic World Catalog of Symphyta.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Caernarvonshire, Cardiganshire, Surrey and West Cornwall (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Fauna Europaea).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corsica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands. Also recorded in the Nearctic region (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Agrimonia eupatoria, Agrimonia procera, Agrimonia repens, Aremonia agrimonioides, Filipendula ulmaria, Fragaria vesca, Potentilla anserina, Potentilla argentea, Potentilla argyrophylla, Potentilla crantzii, Potentilla erecta, Potentilla palustris (= Comarum palustre), Potentilla reptans, Rubus fruticosus, Potentilla tabernaemontani

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Shawiana catenator (Haliday, 1836) Braconidae: Exothecinae
Xenarcha lustrator (Haliday, 1836) Braconidae: Exothecinae

External links: Search the internet:
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea
NBN Atlas
NHM UK Checklist		 Find using Google
Find using Google Scholar
Find images using Google

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 Last updated 18-Oct-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page