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Leaf-mine: Mine beginning with a small spiral, later developing into a greenish blotch, frequently at leaf margin, brown when old. Pupation internal or external (Spencer, 1972b: 89 (figs 296), 90).

Upper surface. The mine begins as a short, compact brown spiral, followed by a secondary blotch, often at the leaf margin. Often spiral and blotch are separated by a recognisable corridor segment. Secondary feeding lines conspicuous (in fresh mines). Pupation outside the mine; sometimes pupation occurs earlier but then the exit slit already has been made, and the spiracula do not penetrate the plant epidermis (Bladmineerders van Europa).

The mine starts with a small spiral and then develops into a greenish blotch (frequently on the leaf margin) which turns brown as it ages (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.

Posterior spiracles each with 23-25 bulbs (Bladmineerders van Europa).

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).

Yellowish-brown in summer generation, deep black in winter generation; posterior spiracles on conspicuous conical projections each with a double ellipse of 23-25 bulbs (Spencer, 1972b: 90).

It may pupate either in or outside the mine. The puparium is yellow-brown in the summer generation and deep black in the winter one (British Leafminers).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Lamiaceae
Mentha				Robbins, 1991: 100
Mentha				Bland, 1994c: 84
Mentha	aquatica	Water Mint		Mines in BMNH
Mentha	aquatica	Water Mint		Spencer, 1972b: 116
Mentha	aquatica	Water Mint		British Leafminers
Mentha	longifolia	Horse Mint		Spencer, 1972b; 116
Mentha	longifolia	Horse Mint		British Leafminers
Mentha	suaveolens	Round-leaved Mint		Mines in BMNH
Mentha	suaveolens	Round-leaved Mint		Spencer, 1972b: 117
Mentha	suaveolens	Round-leaved Mint		British Leafminers

Hosts elsewhere:

Lamiaceae
Mentha				Spencer, 1990: 207
Mentha	aquatica	Water Mint		Bladmineerders van Europa
Mentha	aquatica	Water Mint		Spencer, 1976: 514
Mentha	arvensis	Corn Mint		Bladmineerders van Europa
Mentha	arvensis	Corn Mint		Spencer, 1976: 514
Mentha	longifolia	Horse Mint		Bladmineerders van Europa
Mentha	piperita			Bladmineerders van Europa
Mentha	rotundifolia	False Apple-mint		Bladmineerders van Europa
Mentha	rotundifolia	False Apple-mint		Spencer, 1976: 514

Time of year - mines: May to August in two generations (Hering, 1957).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread. London (Hampstead), Isle of Wight (Niton), Huntingdonshire (Woodwalton Fen), Norfolk (Norwich), Denbighshire (Cefn-y-bedd) (Spencer, 1972b: 80), Midlothian (Duddingstone Loch) (Bland, 1994c: 84), Warwickshire (Brandon Marsh) (Robbins, 1991: 100); Glamorgan and Huntingdonshire (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Dublin (Spencer, 1972b: 90).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Belgium (Scheirs, de Bruyn and von Tschirnhaus, 1995), Denmark, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 514), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 578), Azores, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corsica, Czech Republic, European Turkey, French mainland, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Poland and Spanish mainland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: