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 heckfordi Bland, 2011
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Phytomyza heckfordi Bland, 2011.


Leaf-miner: Oviposition near the leaf margin, in the distal half of the leaf. From here a narrow gallery of c. 15 mm runs to the leaf tip, then down again; then the gallery widens into a brown blotch that may occupy the entire width of the leaf. In the blotch the frass lies dispersed as black granules of variable sizes. Pupation external (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.

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).

About 1 mm, sausage shaped, pale orange brown, segment limits shallow. Front spiracula T-shaped; rear spircaula on two stout bases, touching each other at their feet, with 13-14 papillae in circular arrangement (Bladmineerders van Europa). Drawing in Proc. Trans. BENHS 24: 125 (2011).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Apiaceae        
Antennaria dioica Mountain Everlasting British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bland, 2011

Hosts elsewhere: Currently unknown.

Time of year - mines: Bivoltine; occupied mines were found in late June and in the first half of September (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Described from Scotland in 2011 by Keith Bland.

Distribution elsewhere: Currently unknown

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Antennaria dioica

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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