(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera) by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds

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Phytomyza fallaciosa Brischke, 1880
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Phytomyza fallaciosa Brischke, 1880. Schr. naturf. Ges. Danzig (N.F.) 5(1-2): 238
Phytomyza pseudohellebori Hendel, 1920. Arch. Naturgesch. 84A(7) (1918): 152
Phytomyza mimica Hering, 1928. Zoologische Jahrbücher, Abteilung für Systematik, Ökologie und Geographie der Tiere 55: 573
Phytomyza fallaciosa Brischke, 1880; Hendel, 1935. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 152
Phytomyza bonsdorfi Hendel, 1936. Dt. ent. Z. (N.F.) 9(1-2): 500. [Nomen nudum ]
Phytomyza ranunculiphaga Lundquist, 1949. Opusc. ent. 14: 173. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1976: 414]
Phytomyza fallaciosa Brischke, 1880; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 73, 79, 87, 118
Phytomyza fallaciosa Brischke, 1880 ; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 414-5, fig. 724
Phytomyza fallaciosa Brischke, 1880; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 21, 27, 43, 45 (figs 166-7), 178.

Leaf-miner: Larva forms a linear mine, normally at the apex of leaf, winding backwards and forwards and thus forming a secondary blotch which quickly turns brown. Pupation internal (Spencer, 1976: 415).

A compact secondary blotch, without islands of unmined green tissue. Mines usually dirty brown in colour, strikingly resembling a dead and rotting leaf segment. Both primary and secondary feeding lines apparent. Frass partly in long strings. Pupation takes place within the leaf, in a lower-surface puparial chamber, often somewhat removed from the mine itself (Bladmineerders van Europa).

The mine is also illustrated in 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 larva is illustrated in 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).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Ranunculaceae
Ranunculus				Robbins, 1983: 25
Ranunculus				Spencer, 1972b: 73
Ranunculus	acris	Meadow Buttercup		Spencer, 1972b: 118
Ranunculus	bulbosus	Bulbous Buttercup		Robbins, 1989: 24
Ranunculus	repens	Creeping Buttercup		Mines in BMNH
Ranunculus	repens	Creeping Buttercup		Robbins, 1991: 27
Ranunculus	repens	Creeping Buttercup		Spencer, 1972b: 119

Hosts elsewhere:

Ranunculaceae
Ranunculus				Spencer, 1976: 415
Ranunculus				Spencer, 1990: 21
Ranunculus	acris			Bladmineerders van Europa, as Ranunculus acer
Ranunculus	auricomus	Goldilocks Buttercup		Bladmineerders van Europa
Ranunculus	breyninus			Bladmineerders van Europa
Ranunculus	lanuginosus			Bladmineerders van Europa
Ranunculus	lingua	Greater Spearwort		Spencer, 1976: 415
Ranunculus	repens	Creeping Buttercup		Spencer, 1976: 415
Ranunculus	repens	Creeping Buttercup		Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: June, November.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Denbighshire (Cefn-y-bedd), Dunbartonshire (Spencer, 1972b: 73), Warwickshire (Allesley and Coventry) (Robbins, 1991: 27); Cambridgeshire, East Cornwall, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, South Somerset and South-west Yorkshire (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Co. Clare (Spencer, 1972b: 73).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread and common in much of Europe including Iceland, Faroe Is., Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 415), The Netherlands, Germany (Bladmineerders van Europa), Czech Republic, Estonia, Iceland, Italian mainland, Lithuania and Poland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: