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Agromyza pygmaea Meigen, 1830. Syst. Beschr. 6: 183
Dizygomyza (Poemyza) verrucosa Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 61
Phytobia (Poemyza) lapplandica Rydén, 1956. Opusc. ent. 21: 195
Cerodontha (Poemyza) pygmaea (Meigen, 1830); Nowakowski, 1962. Annls zool., Warsz. 20: 112
Dizygomyza (Poemyza) verrucosa Hendel, 1831; Nowakowski, 1967. Polskie Pismo ent. 37: 651
Cerodontha (Poemyza) pygmaea (Meigen, 1830); Nowakowski, 1967. Polskie Pismo ent. 37: 651
Cerodontha (Poemyza) pygmaea (Meigen, 1830); Nowakowski, 1972. Polskie Pismo ent. 42(4): 747
Cerodontha (Poemyza) pygmaea (Meigen, 1830); Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 104. Cerodontha (Poemyza) pygmaea (Meigen, 1830); Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 198-9, fig. 348
Cerodontha (Poemyza) pygmaea (Meigen, 1830); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 354, 355, 356, 369, 370 (fig. 1386).

Leaf-miner: Normally several larvae feed together. Pupation in the mine (Spencer, 1976: 198).

Broad elongated blotch. Frass greenish. Larvae generally communal. Pupation within the mine. The black puaria are individially anchored within the mine with a silken thread attached at their rear end. Distinguishable from C. incisa only by means of the larva (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.

Nowakowski (1973) gives details of the larva. Posterior spiracles each with 3 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 198).

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).

Shining black (Spencer, 1976: 198), larvae individially anchored within the mine with a silken thread attached at their rear end (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Comments: The larvae of C. incisa and C. pygmaea are easily discriminated. The opposite holds for their pupariria, which is unfortunate because they are found frequently (much more often then the larvae) and because they are quite conspicuous. They are deep black with a strong violet or blue metallic shine; they are lying in the mine, not in puparial chamber, but anchored to the inner wall of the mine by means of a thread. Often several pupariria are found together, and then frequently the anchor wires are fused near the point where they are attached to the plan (Bladmineerders van Europa).

De Meijere (1928) and Hering (1957a) state that the distal margin of the common base of the rear pupariria is straight or convex in incisa, concave in pygmaea. This must be related to the size of the warts at either side of the rear spiracula, small in incisa, large in pygmaea. In practice, however, I find this character difficult to use. A second character invoked by them is that the intersegmental constrictions in incisa are roughened by tiny scalelike irregularities, while those in pygmaea have minute transverse corrugations. I have the impression that this is not reliable (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Cerodontha incisa or Cerodontha pygmaea puparium Image: © Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Comments: Festuca gigantea is treated as Schedonorus gigantea (Giant Fescue) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Poaceae
Arrhenatherum				Robbins, 1991: 140
Arrhenatherum	elatius	False Oat-grass		Mines in BMNH
Arrhenatherum	elatius	False Oat-grass		Robbins, 1989: 21
Brachypodium				Robbins, 1991: 137
Brachypodium	sylvaticum	False Brome		Mines in BMNH
Brachypodium	sylvaticum	False Brome		Robbins, 1989: 21
Brachypodium	sylvaticum	False Brome		Spencer, 1972b: 122
Bromopsis	ramosa	Hairy-brome		Robbins, 1989: 21
Bromus				Mines in BMNH
Bromus				Robbins, 1991: 137
Bromus				Spencer, 1972b: 123
Calamagrostis				Pitkin & Plant
Dactylis	glomerata	Cock's-foot		Spencer, 1972b: 123
Deschampsia				Robbins, 1991: 137
Deschampsia				Spencer, 1972b: 104
Deschampsia	cespitosa	Tufted Hair-grass		Mines in BMNH
Deschampsia	cespitosa	Tufted Hair-grass		Robbins, 1989: 21
Deschampsia	cespitosa	Tufted Hair-grass		Spencer, 1972b: 123
Elymus				Robbins, 1991: 137
Elymus	repens	Common couch		Robbins, 1989: 21
Festuca				Spencer, 1972b: 104
Festuca	ovina	Sheep's Fescue		Robbins, 1989: 21
Holcus				Robbins, 1983: 23
Lolium	perenne	Perennial Rye-grass		Mines in BMNH
Molinia	caerulea	Purple Moor-grass		Spencer, 1972b: 124
Phalaris				Robbins, 1991: 137
Phalaris	arundinacea	Reed Canary-grass		Robbins, 1989: 21

Hosts elsewhere:

Poaceae
Agrostis				Spencer, 1976: 198
Agrostis				Spencer, 1990: 354
Agrostis	stolonifera	Creeping Bent		Bladmineerders van Europa
Agrostis	tenuis	Common Bent		Bladmineerders van Europa
Ammophila				Spencer, 1990: 354
Ammophila	arenaria	Marram		Bladmineerders van Europa
Apera				Spencer, 1990: 354
Apera	spica-venti	Loose Silky-bent		Bladmineerders van Europa
Arrhenatherum				Spencer, 1990: 354
Arrhenatherum	elatius	False Oat-grass		Bladmineerders van Europa
Avena				Spencer, 1990: 354
Avena	sativa	Oat		Bladmineerders van Europa
Avenula				Bladmineerders van Europa
Brachypodium				Spencer, 1990: 355
Brachypodium	pinnatum	Heath False-brome		Bladmineerders van Europa
Brachypodium	sylvaticum	False Brome		Spencer, 1976: 198
Brachypodium	sylvaticum	False Brome		Bladmineerders van Europa
Bromus				Spencer, 1990: 354
Bromus	tectorum	Drooping Brome		Bladmineerders van Europa
Calamagrostis	canescens	Purple Small-reed		Bladmineerders van Europa
Calamagrostis	epigejos	Wood Small-reed		Bladmineerders van Europa
Calammophila	baltica	Purple Marram		Bladmineerders van Europa
Dactylis				Spencer, 1990: 355
Dactylis	glomerata	Cock's-foot		Spencer, 1976: 198
Dactylis	glomerata	Cock's-foot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Dactylis	polygama	Slender Cock's-foot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Deschampsia				Spencer, 1990: 354
Deschampsia	cespitosa	Tufted Hair-grass		Bladmineerders van Europa
Elymus	caninus	Bearded Couch		Bladmineerders van Europa
Elymus	repens	Common Couch		Bladmineerders van Europa
Elytrigia				Spencer, 1990: 356
Elytrigia				Spencer, 1976: 198
Elytrigia				Bladmineerders van Europa
Festuca				Spencer, 1976: 198
Festuca				Spencer, 1990: 355
Festuca	altissima	Wood Fescue		Bladmineerders van Europa
Festuca	gigantea	Giant Fescue		Bladmineerders van Europa
Glyceria				Bladmineerders van Europa
Glyceria				Spencer, 1990: 354
Holcus				Spencer, 1976: 198
Holcus				Spencer, 1990: 354
Holcus	lanatus	Yorkshire-fog		Bladmineerders van Europa
Hordeum	vulgare	Six-rowed Barley		Bladmineerders van Europa
Lolium				Spencer, 1990: 355
Lolium	perenne	Perennial Rye-grass		Bladmineerders van Europa
Melica	nutans	Mountain Melick		Bladmineerders van Europa
Molinia	caerulea	Purple Moor-grass		Bladmineerders van Europa
Phalaris				Bladmineerders van Europa
Phleum				Spencer, 1976: 198
Phleum				Spencer, 1990: 355
Phleum	pratense	Timothy		Bladmineerders van Europa
Phragmites	australis	Common Reed		Bladmineerders van Europa
Poa				Spencer, 1976: 198
Poa				Spencer, 1990: 355
Poa	compressa	Flattened Meadow-grass		Bladmineerders van Europa
Poa	pratensis	Smooth Meadow-grass		Bladmineerders van Europa
Poa	trivialis	Rough Meadow-grass		Bladmineerders van Europa
Secale	cereale	Rye		Bladmineerders van Europa
Triticum	aestivum	Bread Wheat		Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: (May) June-September (October) (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Time of year - adults: June-August.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread and common in Britain including Dunbartonshire (Bonhill) (Spencer, 1972b: 104), Warwickshire (Coventry, Holbrooks) (Robbins, 1991: 137); Cambridgeshire, East Gloucestershire, Glamorgan, Huntingdonshire, North Hampshire, Northamptonshire, South-west Yorkshire, Surrey and Westmorland (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Co. Clare (Spencer, 1972b: 104)

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread and frequently common in much of Europe including Denmark, Sweden, Finland (Spencer, 1976: 198), The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Belgium (Scheirs and de Bruyn, 1992), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 554), Austria, Canary Is., Czech Republic, Estonia, French mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Madeira, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland and Yugoslavia (Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in Alaska and Canada (Spencer, 1976: 198).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: