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

  

Agromyza albitarsis Meigen, 1830
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Agromyza albitarsis Meigen, 1830. Syst. Beschr. 6: 171
Agromyza albitarsis Meigen, 1830; Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 100
Agromyza lycophaga Hering, 1937c. Blattminen Mittel- und NordEuropas Lief 5, 6: 462. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1969b: 6]
Agromyza lycophaga Hering, 1937c; Spencer, 1969b. Beitr. Ent. 16: 6
Agromyza albitarsis Meigen, 1830; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 37 (fig. 119), 42, 119, 120
Agromyza albitarsis Meigen, 1830; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 92-3, figs 126-128
Agromyza albitarsis Meigen, 1830; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 81, 82 (fig. 300), 93, 100, 178.

Leaf-miner: Larva forming a greenish-black blotch mine (Spencer, 1976: 92), which quickly turns brown, frequently several larvae feed together (Spencer, 1972b: 42).

Elongated, upper-surface blotch, on Poplars much larger than on Willows. At first the colour is green, but this quickly turns into an opaque brown. The larvae distinguish these mines from those of Leucoptera sinuella and Zeugophora species. They are yellow, and often live communal. They leave the mine before pupation; the exit slit is in the upper epidermis (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.

Yellow. Anterior spiracles each with 8 bulbs, posterior spiracles each with 3 bulbs (de Meijere, 1934). The larva is illustrated in 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 to reddish brown; posterior spiracles each with 3 bulbs on a low protuberance (Spencer, 1976: 92). The puparium is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Agromyza albitarsis puparium
Agromyza albitarsis puparium
Image: © Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Salicaceae        
Populus alba White Poplar British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 119
Populus nigra Black-poplar British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Populus nigra Black-poplar British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 119
Populus tremula Aspen British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bland, 1994c: 81
Populus tremula Aspen British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 120
Salix repens Creeping Willow British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Salix repens Creeping Willow British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 120

Hosts elsewhere:

Salicaceae        
Populus       Spencer, 1976: 92
Populus       Spencer, 1990: 93
Populus alba White Poplar British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Populus balsamifera Eastern Balsam-poplar   Bladmineerders van Europa
Populus x canescens     Bladmineerders van Europa
Populus deltoides Necklace Poplar   Bladmineerders van Europa
Populus incana     Bladmineerders van Europa
Populus nigra Black-poplar British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Populus simonii Chinese-poplar   Bladmineerders van Europa
Populus tremula Aspen British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Populus tremuloides American Aspen   Bladmineerders van Europa
Populus trichocarpa Western Balsam-poplar British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Salix       Spencer, 1990: 93
Salix alba White Willow British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Salix x fragilis Hybrid Crack-willow   Bladmineerders van Europa
Salix purpurea Purple Willow British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Salix repens Creeping Willow British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Salix triandra Almond Willow British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: September.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Devon (Slapton), Huntingdonshire (Woodwalton Fen) (Spencer, 1972b: 42), Stirling (Ross Point, Loch Lomond) (Bland, 1994c: 81) and the Outer Hebrides (North Uist) (Bland, 1994b). Glamorgan and South-west Yorkshire (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark, Finland, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 92), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Belgium (Scheirs, de Bruyn and von Tschirnhaus, 1999), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 546), Albania, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, European Turkey, French mainland, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia (Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in Canada (Spencer, 1976: 92).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Populus alba, Populus balsamifera, Populus nigra, Populus tremula, Populus tremuloides, Populus trichocarpa, Salix alba, Salix alba x fragilis, Salix purpurea, Salix repens, Salix triandra

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Chorebus perkinsi (Nixon, 1944) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Coloneura stylata Förster, 1862 Braconidae: Alysiinae
Colastes braconius Haliday, 1833 Braconidae: Exothecinae
Eurytenes abnormis (Wesmael, 1835) Braconidae: Opiinae
Eurytenes polyzonius Wesmael, 1835 Braconidae: Opiinae
Opius cingulatus Wesmael, 1835 Braconidae: Opiinae
Opius propodealis Fischer, 1958 Braconidae: Opiinae
Phaedrotoma variegata (Szépligeti, 1896) Braconidae: Opiinae
Utetes rotundiventris (Thomson, 1895) Braconidae: Opiinae

External links: Search the internet:
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea
NBN Atlas
NHM UK Checklist		 Find using Google
Find using Google Scholar
Find images using Google

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