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

 

Cerodontha capitata (Zetterstedt, 1848)
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Agromyza capitata Zetterstedt, 1848. Dipt. Scand. 7: 2750
Cerodontha (Icteromyza) capitata (Zetterstedt, 1848); Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 105 (fig. 356), 106
Cerodontha (Icteromyza) capitata (Zetterstedt, 1848); Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 171-2, figs 308-9
Cerodontha (Icteromyza) capitata (Zetterstedt, 1848); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 345, 346 (fig. 1300), 351.


Stem-borer: Feeds in the stems and pupariates at base (Spencer, 1976: 172).

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.

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).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland: Currently unknown possibly Juncus, but this requires confirmation (Spencer, 1972b: 106).

Hosts elsewhere:

Juncaceae        
Juncus       Spencer, 1976: 172
Juncus effusus     Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: June-August.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Oxford (Eynsham), Hertfordshire (Welwyn), Dorset, Somerset, Cornwall (St Boswell's), Derby (Goyt Valley), Cumberland (Grasmere, White Moss), Aberdeen (Den of Pitlurg) and Elgin (Culbin Sandhills) (Spencer, 1972b: 106); Ayrshire, Cambridgeshire, Cardiganshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, Dumfriesshire, East Kent, Glamorgan, Herefordshire, Huntingdonshire, Monmouthshire, Montgomeryshire, North Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Pembrokeshire, Radnorshire, Renfrewshire, South Aberdeenshire, South Northumberland, South-west Yorkshire, Surrey, West Cornwall, West Lancashire, West Norfolk and Westmorland (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Co. Cork (Tober Ghobnatan) and Co. Kerry (Kilarney) (Spencer, 1972b: 106).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark, Finland, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 172), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 550), Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, French mainland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Yugoslavia (Fauna Europaea).

Also widespread in northern U.S.A. and Canada (Spencer, 1969a: 138).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Host species unknown

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.



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


XHTML Validator Last updated 28-Mar-2018 Brian Pitkin Top of page