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 reptans Fallén, 1823
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Agromyza reptans Fallén, 1823a. Agromyzides Sveciae : 3
Agromyza reptans Fallén, 1823a; Nowakowski, 1964. Dt. ent. Z. [2] 11: 188
Agromyza reptans Fallén, 1823a; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 32, 34 (fig. 90), 35, 121
Agromyza reptans Fallén, 1823a; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 137-139, figs 244-6.
Agromyza reptans Fallén, 1823a; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 54, 55, 57, 58 (fig. 214), 79.


Leaf-miner: Mine generally follows the leaf margin, widening from the initial linear section into an irregular broad blotch; it is dark green when fresh but quickly turns blackish (Spencer, 1972b: 34 (fig. 90); Spencer, 1976: 138-9, fig. 246).

Full depth corridor that mostly starts near the leaf margin, and never begins with a series in close, intestine-like curves. Further on the corridor strongly widens, and usually remains close to the leaf margin. Often several larvae in a mine. Frass in lumps or short rods, never in long threads (Bladmineerders van Europa).

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 Dempewolf (2001: 49) 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-brown; posterior spiracles each with 3 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 139).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Urticaceae        
Urtica       Robbins, 1991: 71
Urtica dioica Common Nettle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Urtica dioica Common Nettle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 121

Hosts elsewhere:

Urticaceae        
/Keys/GENISTA.php">Genista       Hering, 1957
Genista       Spencer, 1990: 113
Genista germanica     Bladmineerders van Europa
Genista pilosa Hairy Greenweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Genista tinctoria Dyer's Greenweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Spartium       Hering, 1957
Spartium       Spencer, 1990: 113
Spartium junceum Spanish Broom 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 southern Britain including Middlesex (Scratch Wood), Oxford (Blaydon) (Spencer, 1972b: 41) and Warwickshire (Earlsdon, Coventry) (Robbins, 1991: 42).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Germany (Bladmineerders van Europa), Austria, Czech Republic, French mainland, Poland, Slovakia and Spanish mainland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Genista pilosa, Genista tinctoria, Spartium junceum

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea   
Miscogaster hortensis Walker, 1833 Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae
Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Apodesmia similis (Szépligeti, 1898) Braconidae: Opiinae
Opius gracilis Fischer, 1957 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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