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 tetrasticha Hendel, 1927
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Phytomyza tetrasticha Hendel, 1927a. Zool. Anz. 69: 266
Phytomyza tetrasticha Hendel, 1927a; Nowakowski, 1959. Dt. ent. Z. [2] 6: 198
Phytomyza tetrasticha Hendel, 1927a; Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 89 (figs 295-6), 90, 116, 117
Phytomyza tetrasticha Hendel, 1927a; Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 514-5, figs 899-900
Phytomyza tetrasticha Hendel, 1927a; Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 205, 207.


Leaf-mine: Mine beginning with a small spiral, later developing into a greenish blotch, frequently at leaf margin, brown when old. Pupation internal or external (Spencer, 1972b: 89 (figs 296), 90).

Upper surface. The mine begins as a short, compact brown spiral, followed by a secondary blotch, often at the leaf margin. Often spiral and blotch are separated by a recognisable corridor segment. Secondary feeding lines conspicuous (in fresh mines). Pupation outside the mine; sometimes pupation occurs earlier but then the exit slit already has been made, and the spiracula do not penetrate the plant epidermis (Bladmineerders van Europa).

The mine starts with a small spiral and then develops into a greenish blotch (frequently on the leaf margin) which turns brown as it ages (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.

Posterior spiracles each with 23-25 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).

Yellowish-brown in summer generation, deep black in winter generation; posterior spiracles on conspicuous conical projections each with a double ellipse of 23-25 bulbs (Spencer, 1972b: 90).

It may pupate either in or outside the mine. The puparium is yellow-brown in the summer generation and deep black in the winter one (British Leafminers).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Lamiaceae        
Mentha       Robbins, 1991: 100
Mentha       Bland, 1994c: 84
Mentha aquatica Water Mint British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Mentha aquatica Water Mint British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 116
Mentha aquatica Water Mint British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British Leafminers
Mentha longifolia Horse Mint   Spencer, 1972b; 116
Mentha longifolia Horse Mint   British Leafminers
Mentha suaveolens Round-leaved Mint British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Mines in BMNH
Mentha suaveolens Round-leaved Mint British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1972b: 117
Mentha suaveolens Round-leaved Mint   British Leafminers

Hosts elsewhere:

Lamiaceae        
Mentha       Spencer, 1990: 207
Mentha aquatica Water Mint British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Mentha aquatica Water Mint British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 514
Mentha arvensis Corn Mint British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Mentha arvensis Corn Mint British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Spencer, 1976: 514
Mentha longifolia Horse Mint   Bladmineerders van Europa
Mentha piperita     Bladmineerders van Europa
Mentha rotundifolia False Apple-mint   Bladmineerders van Europa
Mentha rotundifolia False Apple-mint   Spencer, 1976: 514

Time of year - mines: May to August in two generations (Hering, 1957).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread. London (Hampstead), Isle of Wight (Niton), Huntingdonshire (Woodwalton Fen), Norfolk (Norwich), Denbighshire (Cefn-y-bedd) (Spencer, 1972b: 80), Midlothian (Duddingstone Loch) (Bland, 1994c: 84), Warwickshire (Brandon Marsh) (Robbins, 1991: 100); Glamorgan and Huntingdonshire (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland: Dublin (Spencer, 1972b: 90).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Belgium (Scheirs, de Bruyn and von Tschirnhaus, 1995), Denmark, Sweden (Spencer, 1976: 514), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 578), Azores, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corsica, Czech Republic, European Turkey, French mainland, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Poland and Spanish mainland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Mentha aquatica, Mentha arvensis, Mentha longifolia, Mentha rotundifolia

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea   
Chrysocharis viridis (Nees, 1934) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Chorebus abaris (Nixon, 1943) Braconidae: Alysiinae
Chorebus nanus (Nixon, 1943) Braconidae: Alysiinae


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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