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

  

Agromyza demeijerei Hendel, 1920
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Agromyza demeijerei Hendel, 1920. Arch. Naturgesch. 84A(7)(1918): 122
Agromyza demeijerei Hendel, 1920; Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 130
Agromyza demeijerei Hendel, 1920; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 37 (fig. 109), 39, 117
Agromyza demeijerei Hendel, 1920; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 103-4, figs 155-157.
Agromyza demeijerei Hendel, 1920; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 113, 127, 138 (fig. 522), 139.

Leaf-miner: Larva initially forming a narrow linear leaf-mine, adjoining margin of leaf; later forming a broad blotch, with conspicuously greenish-diffused frass (Spencer, 1972b: 37, fig. 109; Spencer, 1976: 103, fig. 157).

Hooklike, upper-surface secondary blotch. The mine starts as a rather narrow corridor in the centre of the leaf. From there the corridor runs in the direction of the leaf margin, not much widening, and quite tortuous. Once the leaf margin is reached the mine suddenly starts to widen strongly; often then also the direction of the mine switches. Frass deliquescent, in a wide, bright green central band. Primary and secondary feeding lines very prominent. Older mines wither and turn brown, later white. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

An upper surface gallery along one margin towards the tip, enlarging into a blotch on the other margin. Frass pale green when fresh, brownish later (British leafminers).

Larva: The larvae of flies 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 larva is described by de Meijere (1925). The larva is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Puparium: The puparia of flies are 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).

Orange; posterior spiracles each with 3 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 104). Shining yellow (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Fabaceae        
Laburnum       Mines in BMNH
Laburnum       Robbins, 1991: 41
Laburnum anagyroides Laburnum British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Laburnum anagyroides Laburnum British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Laburnum anagyroides Laburnum British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 117

Hosts elsewhere:

Fabaceae        
Laburnum       Spencer, 1990: 113
Laburnum anagyroides Laburnum British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 104
Laburnum anagyroides Laburnum British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: June-August.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in England (Spencer, 1972b: 39) including Warwickshire (Coventry) (Robbins, 1991: 41) and London (South Kensington) (pers. observation), Caernarvonshire, Easterness, Leicestershire, North Ebudes, South Lancashire, South-east Yorkshire, South-west Yorkshire, Warwickshire, West Sutherland and Westmorland (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 546), Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Poland and Spanish mainland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Laburnum anagyroides  

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea  
Chrysocharis nitetis (Walker, 1939) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis nephereus (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis orbicularis (Nees, 1834) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis viridis (Nees, 1934) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Neochrysocharis formosus (Westwood, 1833) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Cirrospilus diallus Walker, 1838 Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Cirrospilus pictus (Nees, 1834) Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Cirrospilus vittatus Walker, 1838 Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Diglyphus minoeus (Walker, 1838) Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Pnigalio pectinicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Pnigalio soemius (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Halticoptera aenea (Walker, 1833) Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae
Halticoptera patellana (Dalman, 1818) Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae
Halticoptera violacea Askew, 1972 Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae
Miscogaster maculata Walker, 1833 Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae

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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