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SALVIA. Clarys. [Lamiaceae]

Eighteen species and subspecies of Salvia are recorded in Britain.These include the native Meadow Clary (S. pratensis) and Wild Clary (S. verbenaca) and the introduced Annual Clary (S. viridis).

Four British miners are recorded on Salvia.

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

Meadow Clary
Salvia pratensis

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

1a > Leaf-miner and case-bearer: Blotch mines reaching the edge of the leaf, initially pale green turning brownish white, are caused by the larva feeding on the underside of a leaf. The fully developed case is slender, shining black brown, about 9 mm long. Towards the end a narrow, transparent yellowish ventral keel. Mouth angle 50-60°. Cases on the leaf underside.

On Calamintha, Clinopodium, Glechoma, ? Lycopus, Mentha, Nepeta, Origanum, Prunella, Salvia, Stachys and Thymus in Britain plus Melissa, Melittis and Satureja but not Calamintha elsewhere. Throughout England and Wales and a few places in Scotland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Coleophora albitarsella Zeller, 1849 [Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae].

1b > Leaf-miner: A distinctive mine primarily above mid-rib, with irregular short lateral offshoots into leaf blade. Pupation external (Spencer, 1972: 51 (fig. 172), 55; Spencer, 1976: 270, 271 (fig. 486)).

Branched, whitish, upper-surface corridor; main axis overlying the midrib; side branches overlying the main lateral veins. (In Campanula and Phyteuma the mine is much less branched, sometimes nothing more than a corridor on top of the midrib). Frass in rather long strings. Usually the mines begins as a long and narrow, shallow, tortuous lower-surface corridor that ends upon the midrib but otherwise is not associated with the leaf venation. Often this initial corridor is filled with callus, and then even less conspicuous. Pupation outside the mine.

A linear mine on the upper surface, usually following the midrib and showing side branches along the veins. The frass is in strings.

Polyphagous. On more than 40 host genera in 15 families, but not yet on Salvia, in Britain,. Widespread throughout Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Liriomyza strigata (Meigen, 1830) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

1c > Leaf-miner: Rather narrow corridor, untidy and sometimes branched, starting from the base of the leaf, in particular the midrib. Sides of the corridor irregularly eaten out, not really parallel. Frass mostly present, and then in a central line. The larva is capable of leaving the mine and start a new one elsewhere. These later mines are much broader, and the frass is scattered irregularly..

Host plants unknown in Britain. On numerous genera and species in several plant families, including Aster, elsewhere. Recorded in southern England. Widespread in continental Europe.

Orthochaetes insignis (Aube, 1863) [Coleoptera: Curculionidae]

1d > Leaf-miner: Mine linear, whitish, both upper and lower surface. Pupation internal, at the end of the mine with the anterior spiracles projecting through the epidermis (Spencer, 1976: 433).

Upper-surface, less often lower-surface corridor. Frass in isolated grains. Pupation within the mine, usually in a lower-surface puparial chamber.

A long whitish upper surface corridor, which eventually goes lower surface.

Two highly polyphagous species of Chromatomyia, with indistinguishable mines, have been recorded in Britain. These are syngenesiae (Hardy) and horticola (Goureau) which can only be distinguished by the male genitalia. Both species are widespread in Britain and elsewhere, although syngenesiae is almost entirely restricted to Asteraceae. Records on Asteraceae not based on examination of male genitalia are treated in this account as Chromatomyia 'atricornis'.

Chromatomyia horticola is recorded on 160 plant genera in 31 families, of which 55 plant genera in 19 families, but not yet on Salvia, in Britain.

Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau, 1851) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

1e > Leaf-mine: A winding corridor, upper- or lower surface, that regularly crosses itself, though without forming a secondary blotch. Secondary feeding lines absent. The mine is quite variable, sometimes a compact knot, sometimes a loose corridor along the leaf margin. Frass in discrete grains or pearl chains.

The mine starts as a narrow gallery, which then often follows the leaf margin. It is just as often compressed into a small place. The mines may be upper or lower surface although these in York were found to be upper surface. The frass is in grains which may be close together and so looking like pearl strings. There are no primary or secondary feeding lines which distinguish it from Phytomyza salviae (British Leafminers).

On Salvia nemorosa 'May Night' in Yorkshire and Salvia spp. elsewhere. Recorded from Central Europe; also Romania, Albania and Spain (Fauna Europaea, 2008)..