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

 

Cornutrypeta spinifrons (Schroeder, 1913)
[Diptera: Tephritidae]


Spilographa spinifrons Schroeder, 1913. Stettin. ent. Ztg. 74: 178
Spilographa virgata Collin, 1946. Entomologist's Rec. J. Var. 58: 17
Vidalia spinifrons (Schroeder, 1913); White, 1988. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5a): 24, 40, 64.
Cornutrypeta spinifrons (Schroeder, 1913)


Leaf-miner: Broad corridor overlying the midrib. The mine has a number of side branches that distally widen strongly, and may coalesce. Primary and secondary feeding lines very conspicuous (Bladmineerders van Europa). Pupation external, in soil.

Mine of Cornutrypeta spinifrons on Senecio ovalis. Image: Willem Ellis (Source: Bladmineerders van Europa)
Mine of Cornutrypeta spinifrons on Senecio ovalis
Image: © Willem Ellis (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 larvae lie on their sides within the mine and use their pick-like mouthparts to feed on plant tissue.

Posterior spiracles with three elongated Bulbs (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).

Yellow; anterior spiracle openings arranged in large arcs, not elevated on a fan-like structure; posterior spiracles each with a central opening larger and more raised than the lateral openings (White, 1988).

Comments: Uffen in Chandler (1978)did not indicate whether his host records are British or Foreign and are therefore tentatively included under 'Hosts in Britain' and 'Hosts elsewhere'.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Asteraceae        

? Aster

      Uffen in Chandler, 1978: 222
Aster       White, 1988: 64
? Solidago virgaurea Goldenrod British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Uffen in Chandler, 1978: 222
Solidago virgaurea Goldenrod British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. White, 1988: 64
Solidago virgaurea Goldenrod British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bland, 2005: 170

Hosts elsewhere:

Asteraceae        

? Aster

      Uffen in Chandler, 1978: 222
Aster       Bladmineerders van Europa
Callistephus chinensis     Bladmineerders van Europa
Chrysanthemum indicum     Bladmineerders van Europa
? Cirsium palustre Marsh Thistle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. White, 1988: 64
Senecio ovatus Wood Ragwort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
? Solidago virgaurea Goldenrod British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Uffen in Chandler, 1978: 222
Solidago       Hering, 1957
Solidago       Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: April.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Recently recorded only from Kent (White, 1988) and Perth (Alva Glen) (Bland, 2005: 170). There are old records (pre-1960) for Hereford and Lancashire (White, 1988).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Poland, north-west of [former] U.S.S.R. (White, 1988), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa) and Belgium (Leclercq and de Bruyn, 1991), Austria, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Lithuania, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Russia - Central and Northwest, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland, Also present in East Palaearctic Region (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

? Cirsium palustre, Solidago virgaurea

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
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