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

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Melanagromyza lappae (Loew, 1850)
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Agromyza lappae Loew, 1850. Stettin. ent. Ztg. 11: 380
Melanagromyza lappae (Loew, 1850); Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 167
Melanagromyza multiseta Rydén, 1949. Opusc. ent. 14: 87. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1966a: 26]
Melanagromyza nitens Rohdendorf-Holmanova, 1958. Ent. Obozr. 38: 384. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1966a: 26]
Melanagromyza multiseta Rydén, 1949; Spencer, 1966. Beitr. Ent. 16: 26
Melanagromyza lappae (Loew, 1850); Spencer, 1966a. Beitr. Ent. 16: 18, 26
Melanagromyza lappae (Loew, 1850); Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 18 (fig. 25), 20, 111
Melanagromyza lappae (Loew, 1850); Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 51-2, figs 43-5
Melanagromyza lappae (Loew, 1850); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera): 251, 252 (fig. 940), 253.

Stem-borer: Internal stem-borer. Pupation internal (Spencer, 1972b: 20)

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: 86).

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).

Whitish grey; posterior spiracles adjoining, each process with 16-22 bulbs around the strong central horn (Spencer, 1972b: 20).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Asteraceae
Arctium lappa Greater Burdock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 111
Arctium minus Lesser Burdock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 111

Hosts elsewhere:

Asteraceae
Arctium Spencer, 1990: 251
Arctium lappa Greater Burdock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 52
Arctium minus Lesser Burdock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 52
Arctium minus Lesser Burdock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Dempewolf, 2001: 86

Time of year - larvae: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Middlesex (Scratch Wood), Buckinghamshire (Sarratt), Hertfordshire (Barnet), Denbighshire (Cefn-y-bedd) and Dunbartonshire (Bonhill) (Spencer, 1972b: 20); Cambridgeshire, Denbighshire, Leicestershire and Surrey (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Common and Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark, Finland (Spencer, 1976: 52) and Germany (Spencer, 1976: 542; Dempewolf (2001: 86), Azores, Czech Republic, Estonia, French mainland, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).

Also extending eastwards to the [former] U.S.S.R. (Spencer, 1976: 52).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Arctium lappa, Arctium minus

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea
Sphegigaster pedunculiventris (Spinola, 1808) Pteromalidae: Pteromalinae
Syntomopus incisus Thomson, 1878 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

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 Last updated 09-Jul-2019 Brian Pitkin Top of page