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

  

CYSTOPTERIS. Bladder-ferns. [Woodsiaceae]

Five species of Cystopteris, including Alpine Bladder-fern (C. alpina), Brittle Bladder-fern (C. fragilis), Greenish Bladder-fern (C. diaphana), Dickie's Bladder-fern, (C. dickieana) and Mountain Bladder-fern (C. montana) are recorded in Britain. They are all native species.

Dickie's Bladder-fern, (C. dickieana) is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Two British miners are recorded on Cystopteris.

A key to the European miners recorded on Cystopteris is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Key for the identification of the known mines of British
insects (Diptera and non-Diptera) recorded on Cystopteris

1# > Leaf-mine: Details unknown.

Hosts in Britain unknown. On Cystopteris fragilis elsewhere. Northern Britain including Cumberland (VC70), County Durham (VC66), Mid Perth and Westmorland (NBN Gateway). Austria, Norwegian mainland and Sweden (Michelsen in Fauna Europaea).

Chirosia montana Pokorny, 1893 [Diptera: Anthomyiidae].

1 > Leaf-miner: Large full depth blotch, covering the entire distal part of a pinnula. The mine begins near the top, where an elliptic egg shell is attached to the underside of the rachis. Larva solitary. The mine contains much frass.

An upperside blotch at the tip of a pinna lobe.

On Pteridium and Dryopteris, but not yet on Athyrium, in Britain and continental Europe and additional other genera of ferns elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded in East Palaearctic and Near East.

Chirosia histricina Rondani, 1866 [Diptera: Anthomyiidae].
 

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