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

 

IPOMOEA. Morning-glory. [Convolvulaceae]


Seven species of Ipomoea are recorded in Britain. All are introduce and include Ivy-leaved Morning-glory (I. hederacea), White Morning-glory (I. lacunosa), Common Morning-glory (I. purpurea).

Two British miners are recorded on Ipomoea.

A key to the European miners recorded on Ipomoea is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa.



Key for the identification of the known mines of British
insects (Diptera and non-Diptera) recorded on Ipomoea


1a > Leaf-miner: A distinctive mine primarily above mid-rib, with irregular short lateral offshoots into leaf blade. Pupation external (Spencer, 1972: 51 (fig. 172), 55; Spencer, 1976: 270, 271 (fig. 486)).

Branched, whitish, upper-surface corridor; main axis overlying the midrib; side branches overlying the main lateral veins. (In Campanula and Phyteuma the mine is much less branched, sometimes nothing more than a corridor on top of the midrib). Frass in rather long strings. Usually the mines begins as a long and narrow, shallow, tortuous lower-surface corridor that ends upon the midrib but otherwise is not associated with the leaf venation. Often this initial corridor is filled with callus, and then even less conspicuous. Pupation outside the mine.

A linear mine on the upper surface, usually following the midrib and showing side branches along the veins. The frass is in strings.

Liriomyza strigata larva,  lateral
Liriomyza strigata larva, lateral
Image: © Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Polyphagous. On more than 40 host genera in 15 families in Britain including Ipomoea. Widespread throughout Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Liriomyza strigata (Meigen, 1830) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

1b > Leaf-miner: At first it makes a narrow gallery lined with frass, but subsequently it makes a series of large translucent yellowish brown blotch mines from which all frass is ejected. It also constructs under the leaf an 'aerial' network of silk threads in which it moves around and rests clear of the leaf surface when not feeding. The pupa is attached to a leaf without a cocoon. It has a dorsal keel and a pronounced facial beak.

On Calystegia, Convolvulus and Ipomoea in Britain and elsewhere. Widespread in southern England and Wales. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Bedellia somnulentella (Zeller, 1847) [Lepidoptera: Bedelliidae].



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