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

  

OSMUNDA. Royal fern. [Osmundaceae]

Royal fern (O. regalis) is the only species of the Osmunda recorded in Britain. It is a native species.

Only one British miner is recorded on Osmunda.

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

Royal Fern - Osmunda regalis. Image: © Linda Pitkin
Royal Fern
Osmunda regalis

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

1 > Leaf-miner: Large full depth blotch, covering the entire distal part of a pinnula. The mine begins near the top, where an elliptic egg shell is attached to the underside of the rachis. Larva solitary. The mine contains much frass.

An upperside blotch at the tip of a pinna lobe.

On Pteridium and Dryopteris, but not yet on Osmunda, in Britain. On additional other genera of ferns elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded in East Palaearctic and Near East.

Chirosia histricina Rondani, 1866 [Diptera: Anthomyiidae].

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