Melanagromyza dettmeri [Diptera: Agromyzidae] in Leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects

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

Melanagromyza dettmeri Hering, 1933
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

? BRITISH

Melanagromyza dettmeri Hering, 1933. Konowia 12: 37
Melanagromyza dettmeri Hering, 1933; Spencer, 1966. Beitr. Ent. 16: 21. [in part]
Melanagromyza dettmeri Hering; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 251, 252 (figs 938-9), 253, 394, 395.

Stem borer: Larva feeds as an internal stem-borer (Spencer, 1976: 51).

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.

Mandibles with one large and one small tooth (Spencer, 1976: 52, fig. 41); posterior spiracles virtually adjoining, each with an ellipse of some 15 bulbs around a strong central horn (Spencer, 1976: 51).

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).

Greyish-white (Spencer, 1976: 51).

Comments: Spencer (1966a: 21) and Spencer (1972b: 16, 19, 111, 112) misidentifed British specimens of oligophaga as dettmeri.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland: Currently unknown.

Hosts elsewhere:

Asteraceae
Centaurea	jacea	Brown Knapweed		Spencer, 1990: 394

Time of year - larvae: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Anglesey, Cardiganshire, Denbighshire, Glamorgan and South-east Yorkshire (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark (Spencer, 1990: 394), Belarus, Czech Republic, French mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Centaurea jacea

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea
Chlorocytus inchoatus Graham, 1965	Pteromalidae: Pteromalinae
Sphegigaster nigricornis (Nees, 1834)	Pteromalidae: Pteromalinae
Syntomopus incisus Thomson, 1878	Pteromalidae: Pteromalinae
Syntomopus incurvus Walker, 1833	Pteromalidae: Pteromalinae
Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available
Chorebus cylindricus (Telenga, 1935)	Braconidae: Alysiinae


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


	Last updated 09-Jul-2019 Brian Pitkin

72b: 20); Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Glamorgan, North Hampshire, Surrey and West Gloucestershire (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Germany, Denmark (Spencer, 1976: 46), Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Angelica sylvestris, Heracleum sphondylium, Pastinaca sativa

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


	Last updated 22-May-2017 Brian Pitkin