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 nana Meigen, 1830
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Agromyza nana Meigen, 1830. Syst. Beschr. 6: 170
Agromyza nana Meigen, 1830; Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 133
Agromyza nana Meigen, 1830; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 37 (fig. 114B), 41, 117, 118
Agromyza nana Meigen, 1830; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 125-6, figs 211-213A.
Agromyza nana Meigen, 1830; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 112, 125, 127, 133, 134 (fig. 494).


Leaf-miner: Larva producing 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 (Spencer, 1972b: 37 (fig. 114b); Spencer, 1976: 126, fig. 213A).

Broad and short hook-like upper-surface corridor, ending in a little blotch in the centre of a leaflet. The blotch is upper-surface as well, but has some deep spots, giving the mine a mottled appearance when hold against the light. Frass in the blotch in a few large lumps. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

A short, broad gallery leading to a conspicuous, roundish white blotch in the centre of the leaf. The blotch is upper surface with full depth spots - comprising of large clumps of frass (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), Beri (1971b) and 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).

Reddish (Spencer, 1976: 126).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Fabaceae        
Medicago       British leafminers
Medicago lupulina Black Medick British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Medicago sativa Lucerne British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Medicago sativa Lucerne British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 117
Melilotus       Mines in BMNH
Melilotus       Robbins, 1983: 23
Melilotus altissimus Tall Melilot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1991: 43
Melilotus altissimus Tall Melilot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Melilotus officinalis Ribbed Melilot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Melilotus officinalis Ribbed Melilot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 117
Trifolium       Robbins, 1983: 23
Trifolium pratense Red Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bland, 1992
Trifolium pratense Red Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bland, 1994
Trifolium pratense Red Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Trifolium pratense Red Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1991: 43
Trifolium pratense Red Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 118
Trifolium repens White Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Trifolium repens White Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Trifolium repens White Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 118
Trifolium repens White Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bland, 1992
Trifolium repens White Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bland, 1994

Hosts elsewhere:

Fabaceae        
Anthyllis       Bladmineerders van Europa
Anthyllis       Spencer, 1990: 112
Lotus ornithopodioides     Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago       Spencer, 1990: 112
Medicago lupulina Black Medick British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago minima Bur Medick   Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago polymorpha Toothed Medick British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago sativa Lucerne British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago sativa Lucerne British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 126
Medicago sativa subsp. falcata Sickle Medick British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago trunculata Strong-spined Medick   Bladmineerders van Europa
Melilotus       Spencer, 1976: 126
Melilotus       Spencer, 1990: 112
Melilotus albus White Melilot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Melilotus albus White Melilot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Melilotus altissimus Tall Melilot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Melilotus messanensis     Bladmineerders van Europa
Melilotus officinalis Ribbed Melilot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Onobrychis       Spencer, 1990: 112
Onobrychis viciifolia Sainfoin British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Securigera securidaca Hatchet Vetch   Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium       Spencer, 1976: 126
Trifolium       Spencer, 1990: 112
Trifolium alpestre     Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium fragiferum Strawberry Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium hybridum Alsike Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium incarnatum Crimson Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium medium Zigzag Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium montanum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium ochroleucon Sulphur Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium pratense Red Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium repens White Clover British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium stellatum Starry Clover   Bladmineerders van Europa
Trigonella       Bladmineerders van Europa
Trigonella       Spencer, 1990: 112
Vicia       Spencer, 1990: 112
Vicia cracca Tufted Vetch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Vicia dumetorum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Vicia hirsuta Hairy Tare British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Vicia sativa Common Vetch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Vicia sylvatica Wood Vetch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

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

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Common and widely distributed in England, also recorded from Inverness (Nethy Bridge), Perth (Killin), Skye (nr Armadale) (Spencer, 1972b: 41), the Inner Hebrides (Isle of Coll) (Bland, 1992), Rum (Bland in Whiteley, 1994), Warwickshire (Robbins, 1991: 43), Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Dorset, East Kent, East Norfolk, East Ross, East Suffolk, Elgin, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Leicestershire, Main Argyll, Merionethshire, Mid-west Yorkshire, Monmouthshire, Montgomeryshire, North Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Pembrokeshire, South Lancashire, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford and Surrey, West Lancashire and Westerness (NBN Atlas); and Huntingdon (British leafminers). Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Co. Clare, Co. Kerry and Co. Mayo (Spencer, 1972b: 41).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread and common in continental Europe including Denmark, Finland, Norway (Spencer, 1976: 125), The Netherlands, Luxembourg (Bladmineerders van Europa), Belgium (Scheirs, de Bruyn and von Tschirnhaus, 1996), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 546), Canary Is., Czech Republic, Estonia, European Turkey, French mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania, Sardinia, Sicily, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Switzerland, Ukraine and Yugoslavia (Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in north Africa and northern India (Spencer, 1976: 125).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Medicago lupulina, Medicago minima, Medicago sativa, Medicago sativa subsp. falcata, Medicago truncatula, Melilotus albus, Melilotus altissimus, Melilotus messanensis, Melilotus officinalis, Securigera securidaca, Trifolium fragiferum, Trifolium medium, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Trifolium stellatum, Vicia cracca, Vicia sativa

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea  
Chrysocharis amyite (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis idyia (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis liriomyzae Delucchi, 1954 Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis orbicularis (Nees, 1834) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis pentheus (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis polyzo (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis pubicornis (Zetterstedt, 1838) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Closterocerus lanassa (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Cirrospilus vittatus Walker, 1838 Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Diglyphus isaea (Walker, 1838) Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Pnigalio pectinicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) Eulophidae: Eulophinae
Miscogaster hortensis Walker, 1833 Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae
Miscogaster maculata Walker, 1833 Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae
Sphaeripalpus fuscipes (Walker, 1833) Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae
Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Chorebus flavipes (Goureau, 1851) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Chorebus misellus (Marshall, 1895) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Coloneura stylata Förster, 1862 Braconidae: Alysiinae
Dacnusa maculipes Thomson, 1895 Braconidae: Alysiinae
Heterolexis balteata (Thomson, 1895) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Colastes braconius Haliday, 1833 Braconidae: Exothecinae
Eurytenes maculipes Wesmael, 1835 Braconidae: Opiinae


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