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

  

Agromyza filipendulae Spencer, 1976
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Agromyza filipendulae Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 107, figs 166-168
Agromyza filipendulae Spencer, 1976; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 102, 104, 105 (figs 369-70).

Leaf-miner: A long linear mine, never widening into a blotch at end (Spencer, 1976: 107-8, fig. 167).

Long upper-surface corridor. Many straight stretches, often along the midrib. Frass in discrete grains, here and there in thread fragments, but never in pearl strings. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

A long straight mine, which is sometimes branched. Found in the upper leaf surface (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 described by Dempewolf (2001: 59).

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).

Reddish-brown. Posterior spiracles each with 3 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 108).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Rosaceae        
Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1991: 49
Potentilla       Robbins, 1983: 23
Potentilla anserina Silverweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1991: 49
Potentilla officinalis     Robbins, 1991: 49
Potentilla reptans Creeping Cinquefoil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1991: 49
Rubus   A bramble   Pitkin & Plant
Rubus idaeus Raspberry British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1989: 19
Sanguisorba       Robbins, 1983: 23
Sanguisorba officinalis Great Burnet British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1989: 19

Hosts elsewhere:

Rosaceae        
Filipendula       Spencer, 1990: 102
Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 108
Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Dempewolf, 2001: 59
Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Potentilla       Spencer, 1990: 102

Time of year - mines: July.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Warwickshire (Coventry) (Robbins, 1991: 49), Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, East Gloucestershire, East Ross, Edinburgh, Haddington, Main Arygyll, Mid-west Yorkshire, North-west Yorkshire, Shropshire, South-west Yorkshire and West Suffolk (NBN Atlas).

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

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Norway, Germany, Poland, Russia and almost certainly Denmark, Finland and Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 108, 546), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Czech Republic, French mainland, Latvia, Lithuania (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Filipendula ulmaria, Potentilla anserina, Potentilla reptans, ubus idaeus, Sanguisorba officinalis

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

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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