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

 

Ophiomyia galii Hering, 1937
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Ophiomyia galii Hering, 1937c. Blattminen Mittel- und NordEuropas Lief 5, 6: 562
Ophiomyia galii Hering, 1937c; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 23 (figs 44-5), 27, 119
Ophiomyia galii Hering, 1937c; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 233, 236.


Stem-miner:An inconspicuous external stem mine, frass in widely-spaced grains. Pupation in the mine (Spencer, 1972b: 27).

The mine begins as a corridor in a leaf, descends from there as a rind mine; there also the pupation (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.

The larva is described by de Meijere (1937: 186, as O. sp.) and Dempewolf (2001: 77). Posterior spiracles each with 4-5 bulbs (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).

Black; posterior spiracles each with 4-5 bulbs (Spencer, 1972b: 27).

Comments: Galium mollugo is treated as Galium album (Hedge Bedstraw) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Rubiaceae        
Galium mollugo Hedge Bedstraw British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 119

Hosts elsewhere:

Rubiaceae        
Asperula       Spencer, 1990: 236
Galium mollugo Hedge Bedstraw British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Galium mollugo Hedge Bedstraw British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b
Galium mollugo Hedge Bedstraw British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Dempewolf, 2001: 77
Galium odoratum Woodruff British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Galium sylvaticum Scotchmist   Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: June-July and August-September (Hering, 1957).

Time of year - adults: August-September.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Uncommon. Suffolk (Woodditton Wood) and Surrey (Betchworth) (Spencer, 1972b: 27).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Germany (Dempewolf, 2001: 77; Bladmineerders van Europa), Corsica, Czech Republic, French mainland, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Spanish mainland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Galium mollugo, Galium odoratum

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.



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