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

 

Psychoides filicivora (Meyrick, 1937)
[Lepidoptera: Tineidae]

Fern Smut


Mnesipatris filicivora Meyrick, 1937. Entomologist 70: 195
Psychoides filicivora
(Meyrick, 1937).


Leaf-miner: Larvae usually feed on the underside of a fern frond under an untidy mass of sporangia, but on occasion enter the leaf to make an extensive irregular blotch mine (British leafminers).

Usually the larva lives free under the leaf, under an inrregular mass of spun soredia and frass. The larva feeds on the sori, and larva betrays its presence as a sorus on an unusual place. Sometimes also elongate full depth blotches are made (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Larva: The larvae of moths have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles (see video of a gracillarid larva feeding), six thoracic legs and abdominal legs (see examples).

Yellowish wthite; anal shield colourless, head and prothoracic shield very pale brown with somewhat darker lateral and posterior margins (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Comments: Phyllitis scolopendrium is treated as Asplenium scolopendrium (Hart's-tongue) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Aspleniaceae        
Asplenium adiantum-nigrum Black Spleenwort   British leafminers
Asplenium trichomanes Maidenhair Spleenwort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Asplenium ruta-muraria Wall-rue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Phyllitis scolopendrium Hart's-tongue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Polystichum setiferum Soft Shield-fern British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Dryopteridaceae        
Dryopteris filix-mas Male-fern British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers

Hosts elsewhere:

Aspleniaceae        
Asplenium adiantum-nigrum Black Spleenwort   Bladmineerders van Europa
Asplenium trichomanes Maidenhair Spleenwort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Ceterach officinarum Rustyback British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Phyllitis scolopendrium Hart's-tongue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Polystichum setiferum Soft Shield-fern British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Dryopteridaceae        
Dryopteris filix-mas Male-fern British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Appears to be continuosly brooded, as larvae have been found in all months of the year (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Initially occurred mainly near coasts, but it is increasingly recorded inland (British leafminers) including Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Cumberland, Denbighshire, Dorset, East Cornwall, East Gloucestershire, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Isle of Wight, Leicestershire, Merionethshire, Middlesex, North Devon, North Somerset, North Wiltshire, Pembrokeshire, Shropshire, South Devon, South Hampshire, South Somerset, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, West Cornwall, West Gloucestershire, West Lancashire and Westmorland (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Outside of Britain & Ireland only recorded in Madeira (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, Asplenium ruta-muraria, Asplenium trichomanes, Ceterach officinarum, Dryopteris filix-mas, Phyllitis scolopendrium (= Asplenium scolopendrium), Polystichum setiferum

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.



External links: Search the internet:
Belgian Lepidoptera
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea
NBN Atlas
NHM UK Checklist
UKMoths
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Last updated 28-Jun-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page