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(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera)
by
Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds
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ACONITUM.
Monkshood. [Ranunculaceae]
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Three or four
species of Aconitum are recorded in Britain.These include
the native Monkshood (A. napellus) and the alien Wolf's-bane
(A. lycoctonum). The BSBI provide a downloadable plant crib for Aconitum.
Two British miners are recorded on Acontium.
A
key to European mines on Aconitum
is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. |
 Monk's
Hood
Aconitum napellus
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Key for the identification of the known mines of British
insects (Diptera and non-Diptera) recorded on Aconitum
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1a > Leaf-miner: Larvae
feeding communally, as many as six together, forming large blackish
blotch (Spencer, 1972b: 77).
Large,
greyish-brown, upper-surface blotch, mostly near the tip of a leaflet,
without a preceding corridor. Primary feeding lines conspicuous.
Several larvae share a mine. Pupation outside the mine. Exit slit
in upper epidermis (Pakalniskis, 2004a).
The mine is illustrated in British Leafminers. |
On Aconitum and Delphinium in Britain and elsewhere.
Widespread in gardens in Britain and elsewhere. Also recorded
in the eastern U.S.A. and Canada
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Phytomyza
aconiti Hendel, 1920 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]. |
1b > Leaf-miner: In the first instar the larva mines the leaves, forming short,
irregular, blotch-like mines, but in later instars it lives externally,
feeding in spun leaves and often twisting those of tender shoots. Larval head light-brown or yellowish brown, edged with black postero-laterally,
ocellar area blackish; prothoracic plate black edged with whitish
anteriorly; abdomen dull dark green; pinacula distinct, black,
sometimes brownish but with black bases to setae; anal plate large,
black (Bradley et al., 1973).
Small,
full depth mine without a definite shape; little frass. Some silk
is deposited in the mine. The larva soon leaves the mine and continues
feeding among spun leaves. |
Polyphagous. On numerous genera and species of plant families, but not yet
on Aconitum, in Britain. On numerous genera
and species of plant families including Aconitum and Delphinium elsewhere.
Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded from
the Channel Is.
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Cnephasia
incertana (Treitschke, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]. |
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