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

  

Apteropeda orbiculata (Marsham, 1802)
[Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae]

Chrysomela orbiculata Marsham, 1802
Apteropeda orbiculata (Marsham, 1802).

Leaf-miner: Rather long full depth corridor that winds freely through the leaf and may cross itself. In the end the corridor widens considerably. Frass mostly in a narrow central line, but may also be deposited along the sides or be missing. The larvae regular leave a mine to restart elsewhere. Pupation outside the mine. Neither larva nor mine can be distinguished from that of related species (Bladmineeders van Europa).

The initial mine is a shallow upper surface mine, which then becomes full depth, with a more marked line of frass (British leafminers).

Larva: The larvae of beetles have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles and lack abdominal legs (see examples).

The larva is illustrated in British leafminers and Bladmineeders van Europa.

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

Comments: Stachys officinalis is treated as Betonica officinalis (Betony) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Asteraceae        
Aster       British leafminers
Aster       Pitkin & Plant
Cirsium       British leafminers
Cirsium       Pitkin & Plant
Lamiaceae        
Ajuga       Pitkin & Plant
Ajuga reptans Bugle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Galeopsis       British leafminers
Galeopsis tetrahit Common Hemp-nettle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Stachys       British leafminers
Stachys       Pitkin & Plant
Teucrium scorodonia Wood Sage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Plantaginaceae        
Plantago       British leafminers
Plantago       Pitkin & Plant
Primulaceae        
Primula       British leafminers
Primula       Pitkin & Plant
Scrophulariaceae        
Digitalis       British leafminers
Linaria       British leafminers
Linaria       Pitkin & Plant
Rhinanthus       British leafminers
Rhinanthus       Pitkin & Plant
Scrophularia       British leafminers
Scrophularia       Pitkin & Plant
Verbascum       British leafminers
Verbascum       Pitkin & Plant
Veronica       British leafminers
Veronica       Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Asteraceae        
Aster       Bladmineeders van Europa
Bellis perennis Daisy British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa
Carduus       Bladmineeders van Europa
Cirsium       Bladmineeders van Europa
Lamiaceae        
Ajuga genevensis Cornish Bugle   Bladmineeders van Europa
Ajuga reptans Bugle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa
Clinopodium vulgare Wild Basil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa, as Calamintha vulgaris
Galeopsis tetrahit Common Hemp-nettle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa
Glechoma hederacea Ground-ivy British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa
Glechoma hirsuta     Bladmineeders van Europa
Lamium       Bladmineeders van Europa
Prunella       Bladmineeders van Europa
Stachys officinalis Betony British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa
Stachys recta Perennial Yellow-woundwort   Bladmineeders van Europa
Teucrium       Bladmineeders van Europa
Plantaginaceae        
Plantago atrata     Bladmineeders van Europa
Plantago lanceolata Ribwort Plantain British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa
Plantago major Greater Plantain British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa
Primulaceae        
Primula obconica     Bladmineeders van Europa
Scrophulariaceae        
Digitalis ambigua     Bladmineeders van Europa
Digitalis grandiflora Yellow Foxglove   Bladmineeders van Europa
Digitalis lutea Straw Foxglove   Bladmineeders van Europa
Digitalis purpurea Foxglove British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa
Linaria       Bladmineeders van Europa
Pedicularis       Bladmineeders van Europa
Rhinanthus       Bladmineeders van Europa
Scrophularia       Bladmineeders van Europa
Verbascum       Bladmineeders van Europa
Verbascum lychnitis White Mullein British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa
Veronica chamaedrys Germander Speedwell British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineeders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Spring (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread including Anglesey, Berkshire, Berwickshire, Breconshire, Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cumberland, Derbyshire, Dorset, Dumfriesshire, East Cornwall, East Gloucestershire, East Kent, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, East Sussex, Glamorgan, Huntingdonshire, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Kirkcudbrightshire, Leicestershire, Merionethshire, Monmouthshire, North Devon, North Ebudes, North Somerset, North Wiltshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Pembrokeshire, Radnorshire, Shropshire, South Devon, South Hampshire, South Lincolnshire, South Northumberland, South Somerset, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, Surrey, Warwick, West Cornwall, West Gloucester, West Kent, West Norfolk, West Suffolk and Worcestershire (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Fauna Europaea) and in Ireland (InvertebrateIreland Online).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spanish mainland, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Ukraine (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Ajuga genevensis, Ajuga reptans, Bellis perennis, Clinopodium vulgare, Digitalis grandiflora, Digitalis lutea, Digitalis purpurea, Galeopsis tetrahit, Glechoma hederacea, Plantago lanceolata, Plantago major, Stachys officinalis (= Betonica officinalis), Stachys recta, Teucrium scorodonia, Verbascum lychnitis, Veronica chamaedrys

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

External links: Search the internet:

Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineeders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea
NBN Atlas
NHM UK Checklist

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