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Leaf-miner: Larvae feeding primarily along mid-rib, forming short lateral mines into the leaf blade. Pupation within the mid-rib. the corridors are short in Dipsacus, but longer in Knautia and Succisa. (Spencer, 1976: 480).

The larvae essentially is a borer in the midrib, but makes from there narrow corridors into the blade. In the end also a corridor can be made on top of the midrib. Most frass is deposited within the midrib, to a lesser extent also in the corridors, at the point where they leave the midrib (Hering, 1957, 1967a). Pupation in the mine, generally in the basal part of the tunnel in the midrib, just below the upper epidermis (Bladmineerders van Europa).

The larva feeds along the midrib, making short corridors into the leaf (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 winter is passed as a young larva in the basal rosette of leaves and it starts feeding again in early spring (Spencer, 1976: 480). The larva is also described by de Meijere (1926 and 1928).

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).

White (Spencer, 1976: 480).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Dipsacaceae
Dipsacus				Robbins, 1991: 108, as nigritella
Dipsacus	fullonum	Wild Teasel		British leafminers
Dipsacus	fullonum	Wild Teasel		Spencer, 1972b: 116, as nigritella
Dipsacus	fullonum	Wild Teasel		Mines in BMNH
Knautia	arvensis	Field Scabious		British leafminers
Knautia	arvensis	Field Scabious		Spencer, 1972b: 116, as nigritella
Knautia	arvensis			Mines in BMNH
Succisa	pratensis	Devil's-bit Scabious		British leafminers
Succisa	pratensis	Devil's-bit Scabious		Spencer, 1972b: 116, as nigritella
Succisa	pratensis	Devil's-bit Scabious		Bland, 1992
Succisa	pratensis	Devil's-bit Scabious		Bland, 1994

Hosts elsewhere:

Dipsacaceae
Dipsacus				Spencer, 1976: 480
Dipsacus				Spencer, 1990: 244
Dipsacus	pilosus	Small Teasel		Bladmineerders van Europa
Knautia				Spencer, 1990: 244
Knautia	arvensis	Field Scabious		Bladmineerders van Europa
Knautia	arvensis	Field Scabious		Spencer, 1976: 480
Knautia	dipsacifolia			Bladmineerders van Europa
Knautia	sylvatica			Bladmineerders van Europa
Scabiosa	bladnikiana			Bladmineerders van Europa
Scabiosa	columbaria	Small Scabious		Bladmineerders van Europa
Succisa				Spencer, 1976: 480
Succisa				Spencer, 1990: 244
Succisa	pratensis	Devil's-bit Scabious		Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: March-April, June-October.

Time of year - adults: There are at least two generations per year.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Perth (Killin) (Spencer, 1972b: 95, as nigritella), the Inner Hebrides (Isle of Coll) (Bland, 1992); Cambridgeshire, East Suffolk, Main Argyll, North Somerset, Nottinghamshire and Surrey (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe, including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 480), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 578), Belarus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland and Switzerland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: