Leaf-miner: Mine linear in first instar, later developing into a blotch which
is frequently at base of leaf. Pupation internal (Spencer,
1990: 397).
The mine starts as a gallery, but this is engulfed by the upper surface blotch that eventually forms. This mine is in a basal leaf - right on the ground amongst the grasses etc. The mine is usually in basal part of leaf. The larva pupariates in the mine and the spiracles protrude through the upper epidermis (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.
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).
Whitish (Spencer, 1990: 397).
Comments:
Spencer (1972b: 95) recorded
Chromatomyia gentianae (as Phytomyza) on Blackstonia
perfoliata and Centaurium
erythrae (as minus). However, he later (Spencer,
1990: 396-7) recognised that specimens on Blackstonia
perfoliata and specimens on Centaurium
erythrae represented two different new species, which he described
as Chromatomyia
centaurii and Chromatomyia
blackstoniae respectively.
Godfray, 2015 recorded Chromatomyia centaurii (as Phytomyza centaurii) on Gentiana tibetica purchased from a nursery in southern Scotland in early 2011 and planted in his garden near Goring Heath, Oxfordshire.
Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:
Hosts
elsewhere:
Time
of year - mines: July (British
leafminers).
Time
of year - adults: Currently unknown.
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in southern England
including Middlesex (Scratch Wood); Surrey (Box Hill) (Spencer, 1972b: 116, as gentianae, in part; Spencer,
1990: 397), Bedfordshire (Upper Sundon Chalk Quarry) (British
leafminers) and Warwickshire (Alvecote) (Robbins,
1991: 96). East Suffolk, North Devon and North SOmerset (NBN
Atlas).
Also
recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Fauna Europaea). Distribution
elsewhere: Germany (Spencer,
1990: 397).
NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:
Currently unknown.
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