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 pimpinellae Hendel, 1924
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Phytomyza pimpinellae Hendel, 1924. Konowia 3: 140
Phytomyza pimpinellae Hendel, 1924; Hendel, 1935. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 454
Phytomyza pimpinellae Hendel, 1924; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 76 (figs 254-5), 80, 121
Phytomyza pimpinellae Hendel, 1924; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 468-9, fig. 823-825
Phytomyza pimpinellae Hendel, 1924; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) :160, 169, 171 (figs 630-2), 177.


Leaf-miner: A relatively short and broad upper linear-blotch surface mine (Spencer, 1972b: 76 (fig. 255), 80; Spencer, 1976: 468, 469 (Fig. 825)).

Elongated upper-surface blotch with conspicuous primary feeding lines. Frass partly in pear strings. Pupation outside the mine (Spencer, 1954a) - see 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 larva is described by de Meijere (1937); anterior spiracles each with 3 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).

Black; posterior spiracles each with an ellipse of 12-19 bulbs Spencer, 1976: 468).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Apiaceae        
Pimpinella       Robbins, 1991: 65
Pimpinella anisum     Mines in BMNH
Pimpinella major Greater Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1989: 26
Pimpinella major Greater Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 121

Hosts elsewhere:

Apiaceae        
Pimpinella       Spencer, 1990: 160
Pimpinella major Greater Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Pimpinella major Greater Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 468
Pimpinella major Greater Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Pimpinella saxifraga Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Pimpinella saxifraga Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 468
Pimpinella saxifraga Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: June.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Probably widespread, at least in south. Middlesex (Mill Hill) (Spencer, 1972b: 80) and Warwickshire (Sutton Park and Sowe Hill) (Robbins, 1991: 65).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Germany (Spencer, 1976: 574), Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 468), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Pimpinella major, Pimpinella saxifraga

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Dacnusa laevipectus 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
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