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

 

Metallus pumilus (Klug, 1816)
[Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae]


Entodecta pumila (Klug, 1816) [not 1818]
Fenusa pumila (Klug, 1816)
Tenthredo pumila Klug, 1816 [not 1818]
Tenthredo (Allantus) pumila Klug, 1816 [not 1818]
Metallus pumillus (Klug, 1816) [Unavailable]
Entodecta pumilus (Klug, 1816)
Metallus pumilus (Klug, 1816) [not 1814]
Emphytus pumilio Hartig, 1837
Emphytus (Fenusa) pumilio Hartig, 1837
Entodecta pumilio (Hartig, 1837)
Phaenusa pumilio (Hartig, 1837)
Phoenusa pumilio Hartig, 1837
Entodecta rubi (Boie, 1848)
Fenusa rubi Boie, 1848
Metallus rubi (Boie, 1848)
Phoenusa rubi (Boie, 1848).


Leaf miner: No visible egg; it is deposited below the upper epidermis, generally close to a major vein. Fom there begins a short, quickly widening corridor that contains much frass, especially in its first part. The corridor opens into a large, very transparent, almost full depth blotch that often overruns the initial corridor. Frass in loose grains, larger as the larva increases in size. The frass is dry, and in old mines it may accumulate like pepper grains in the lowest part. Larva solitary, belly-up in the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

The mine is also illustrated in British leafminers.

Larva: The larvae of sawflies have a head capsule, chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles, six thoracic legs and abdominal legs (although they may be reduced) (see examples).

The larva has a large prothoracic plate, two further thoracic spots and one spot on the first abdominal segment (this distinguishes it from M. albipes - which only has three spots) (British leafminers). The larva is also illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Pupa: The pupae of sawflies have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths.

Adult: The adult is illustrated in ECatSym - Electronic World Catalog of Symphyta.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Rosaceae        
Rubus fruticosus Bramble / Blackberry   British leafminers
Rubus fruticosus Bramble / Blackberry   Pitkin & Plant
Rubus idaeus Raspberry British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Rubus idaeus Raspberry British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Rosaceae        
Rubus caesius Dewberry British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus dumetorum A bramble   Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus fruticosus Bramble / Blackberry   Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus idaeus Raspberry British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus odoratus Purple-flowered Raspberry   Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus phoenicolasius Japanese Wineberry British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus radula Hairy Bramble British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus rhombifolius A bramble British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus sanguineus A bramble   Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus saxatilis Stone Bramble British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus serpens A bramble   Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus spectabilis Salmonberry British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubus vulgaris A bramble   Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Summer and autumn (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Comments: Full synonymy and references are listed in ECatSym - Electronic World Catalog of Symphyta.

See (British Leafminers Newsletter) for a A Guide to the British Metallus species.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Cumberland and South Wiltshire (NBN Atlas)

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italian mainland, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Ukraine (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Rubus caesius, Rubus fruticosus, Rubus idaeus, Rubus odoratus, Rubus phoenicolasius, Rubus radula, Rubus rhombifolius, Rubus saxatilis, Rubus spectabilis

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Shawiana catenator (Haliday, 1836) Braconidae: Exothecinae
Xenarcha lustrator (Haliday, 1836) Braconidae: Exothecinae
Synodites notatus (Gravenhorst, 1829) Ichneumonidae: Ctenopelmatinae
Lathrolestes verticalis (Brischke, 1871) Ichneumonidae: Euryproctinae


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 18-Oct-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page