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

 

Phytomyza flavicornis Fallén, 1823
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Phytomyza flavicornis Fallén, 1823b. Phytomyzides et Ochtidiae Sveciae : 4
Phytomyza flavicornis Fallén, 1823b; Hendel, 1935. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 402
Phytomyza flavicornis Fallén, 1823b; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 5, 70 (fig. 232, 75, 121
Phytomyza flavicornis Fallén, 1823b; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) :Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g)54, 58, 60 (fig. 220).


Stem-borer: Larva boring in stem and pupating internally (Spencer, 1972b: 75).

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 Dempewolf (2001: 187).

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).

Whitish, slender, deeply segmented; posterior spiracles each with up to 3 irregular bulbs (without central horns) (Spencer, 1976: 410).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Urticaceae        
Urtica dioica Common Nettle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 121

Hosts elsewhere:

Urticaceae        
Urtica dioica Common Nettle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 416
Urtica dioica Common Nettle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Dempewolf, 2001: 187
Urtica dioica Common Nettle British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1990: 54

Time of year - larvae: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: One generation per year.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Middlesex (Scratch Wood), Cambridgeshire (Chippenham Fen), Dunbartonshire (Bonhill) (Spencer, 1972b: 75) and Channel Is. (Fauna Europaea); Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, Dumfriesshire, Glamorgan, Huntingdonshire, Oxfordshire, South-west Yorkshire and West Norfolk (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland, Co. Clare (Spencer, 1972b: 75).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 417), Germany (Dempewolf, 2001: 187), Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Madeira, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in central Asia, the U.S.A. and Canada (Spencer, 1976: 417).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Urtica dioica

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea   
Syntomopus oviceps Thomson, 1878 Pteromalidae: Pteromalinae


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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