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

  

Phytomyza cinerea Hendel, 1920
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Phytomyza cinerea Hendel, 1920. Arch. Naturgesch. 84A(7) (1918): 167
Phytomyza cinerea Hendel, 1920; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 94
Phytomyza cinerea Hendel, 1920; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 251, 254 (figs 950-1), 255.

Leaf-miner: Mine a brownish blotch, at apex of leaf segment, several larvae feed together. Pupation in mine (Spencer, 1972b: 94).

Greenish, later brownish, upper-surface blotch in the tip of a leaf segment, without a trace of an initial corridor. Often several larvae share a mine. No secondary feeding lines. Frass in numerous blackish green granules that are irregularly scattered. Pupation within the mine, pupariria loose in the mine (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 puparium is described by (Hering, 1957a) (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).

Brown (Spencer, 1972b: 94).

Reddish brown; described by de Meijere (1926a) (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Asteraceae        
Centaurea scabiosa Greater Knapweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Centaurea scabiosa Greater Knapweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1991: 122
Centaurea scabiosa Greater Knapweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 112

Hosts elsewhere:

Asteraceae        
Centaurea       Spencer, 1990: 251
Centaurea scabiosa Greater Knapweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: August.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Uncommon. Derbyshire (Miller's Dale) (Spencer, 1972b: 94) and Warwickshire (Combrook) (Robbins, 1991: 122).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Germany (Hendel, 1920: 167). Germany and SPanish mainland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Centaurea scabiosa

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Dacnusa maculipes Thomson, 1895 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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