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

 

Liriomyza soror Hendel, 1931
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Liriomyza soror Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 248
Liriomyza soror Hendel, 1931; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 53 (fig. 173), 55, 113
Liriomyza soror Hendel, 1931; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 251, 252 (fig. 947), 253.


Leaf-miner: An irregular linear mine (Spencer, 1972b: 55).

Strictly upper-surface corridor; often the loops are so close that a secondary blotch develops. The mine resembles a compact version of the one of Phytomyza cirsii. Frass at first in isolated grains, later in strings, not along the sides but untidily scattered over the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

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 Hering (1955a). Posterior spiracles each with 3 bulbs (Spencer, 1972b: 55).

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).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Asteraceae        
Cirsium       Spencer, 1972b: 113
Cirsium arvense Creeping Thistle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Cirsium arvense Creeping Thistle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Robbins, 1991: 120

Hosts elsewhere:

Asteraceae        
Cirsium arvense Creeping Thistle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Cirsium oleraceum Cabbage Thistle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1990: 251
Cirsium oleraceum Cabbage Thistle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: July.

Time of year - adults: August.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Uncommon. Kent (Otford and Wrotham) (Spencer, 1972b) and Warwickshire (Sutton Park) (Robbins, 1991: 120); Cambridgeshire (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Germany, Belgium (Scheirs, de Bruyn and von Tschirnhaus, 1995), Austria, Czech Republic, French mainland, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Cirsium arvense, Cirsium oleraceum

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
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