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 hendeli Hering, 1923
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]

Phytomyza hendeli Hering, 1923. Dt. ent. Z. 1923: 197
Phytomyza hendeli Hering, 1923; Hendel, 1935. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 413
Phytomyza hendeli Hering, 1923; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 91 (fig. 305), 92, 118
Phytomyza hendeli Hering, 1923; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 112-114, figs 182-3
Phytomyza hendeli Hering, 1923; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 21, 27, 28 (figs 69-71), 50, 177.

Leaf-miner: Mine narrow, whitish, linear, normally adjoining margin of leaf; in small leaves can become blotch-like (Spencer, 1972b: 91 (fig. 305); Spencer, 1976: 427, 429 (fig. 746)).

Mine of Phytomyza hendeli on Anemone nemerosa. Image: Patrick Roper (British leafminers)

Mine of Phytomyza hendeli on Anemone nemerosa
Image: © Patrick Roper (British leafminers)

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 (1926).

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 on short conical projections, each with an irregular ellipse of 18 bulbs (Spencer, 1976: 427).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Ranunculaceae        
Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 118

Hosts elsewhere:

Ranunculaceae        
Anemone       Spencer, 1990: 21
Anemone hortensis     Bladmineerders van Europa
Anemone hupehensis Japanese anemone   Bladmineerders van Europa
Anemone narcissifolia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 427
Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Anemone ranunculoides Yellow Anemone British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: June.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Local. Somerset (nr Frome) (Spencer, 1972b: 92); East Kent and Pembrokeshire (NBN Atlas). Also recorded at Hoad's Wood, Sedlescombe, East Sussex (British leafminers).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in central and western Europe including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 427), Germany (Bladmineerders van Europa), Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Anemone hupehensis, Anemone nemorosa, Anemone ranunculoides

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea   
Hemiptarsenus fulvicollis Westwood, 1833 Eulophidae: Eulophinae

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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 Last updated 04-Oct-2017 Brian Pitkin Top of page