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

 

TRIPLEUROSPERMUM. Mayweeds [Asteraceae]


Two species of Tripleurospermum are recorded in Britain, the native Scentless Mayweed (T. inodorum) and Sea Mayweed (T. maritimum). The BSBI provide a downloadable plant crib for Tripleurospermum.

Three or four British miners are recorded on Tripleurospermum.

Elsewhere the agromyzid Napomyzxa lateralis is recorded boring stems of Tripleurospermum.

A key to the European miners recorded on Matricaria including Tripleurospermum is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Scentless Mayweed - Tripleurospermum inodorum. Image: © Brian Pitkin
Scentless Mayweed
Tripleurospermum maritimum x inodora


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


1# > ? Leaf miner: Details unknown.

Hosts unknown in Britain. On Matricaria and Tripleurospremum elsewhere. The few observations known are distributed all over Europe Gibbs & von Tschirnhaus, 2016a).

Liriomyza intonsa Spencer, 1976 [Diptera: Agromyzidae]

1a > Stem-miner: A narrow, inconspicuous stem mine. Pupation at the end of the mine (Spencer, 1976: 64).

Fine, upper- or lower-surface corridor, ending in a thick vein. From there the mine extends finally to the rind of the stem. There also the pupation takes place, usually not far from the root collar. Mines in the stem rind often are conspicuous through a red discoloration.

On Achillea, Achillea millefolium and possibly Anthemis, Matricaria and Medicago sativa, but not yet on Tripleurospermum, in Britain. In Britain widespread in south, not uncommon. On Anthemis, Achillea, Artemisia, Aster, Centaurea, Clinopodium, Crepis, Hieracium, Matricaria, Reichardia, Solidago, Tanacetum, Tripleurospermum, Medicago, Satureja and Stachys elsewhere. Widespread in continental Europe.

Ophiomyia curvipalpis (Zetterstedt, 1848) [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

1b > Leaf-miner: Mine linear, whitish, both upper and lower surface. Pupation internal, at the end of the mine with the anterior spiracles projecting through the epidermis (Spencer, 1976: 433).

Upper-surface, less often lower-surface corridor. Frass in isolated grains. Pupation within the mine, usually in a lower-surface puparial chamber.

A long whitish upper surface corridor, which eventually goes lower surface.

Two highly polyphagous species of Chromatomyia, with indistinguishable mines, have been recorded in Britain. These are syngenesiae (Hardy) and horticola (Goureau). British records of horticola and syngenesiae on Asteraceae hosts not based on examination of the genitalia of reared males are treated here as Chromatomyia 'atricornis'.

Chromatomyia 'atricornis' has been recorded on Tripleurospermum in Britain.

Chromatomyia syngenesiae is recorded on Tripleurospermum elsewhere but not yet on Tripleurospermum in Britain.

Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau, 1851) [Diptera: Agromyzidae]
OR
Chromatomyia syngenesiae Hardy, 1849 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].

1c > Leaf-miner: A narrow linear mine, even in the finest subdivisions of the leaves (Spencer, 1972b: 77, as matricariae ; Spencer, 1976: 478).

Very fine corridor, upper- or lower-surface, even in the narrowest leaf segments. The corridor may be up to 14 cm long (Sehgal, 1971a). Generally the corridor descends towards the leaf base. Frass in pearl chains of loose grains, hardly in strings. Pupation outside the mine. Very fine corridor, upper- or lower-surface, even in the narrowest leaf segments. The corridor may be up to 14 cm long (Sehgal, 1971a). Generally the corridor descends towards the leaf base. Frass in pearl chains of loose grains, hardly in strings. Pupation outside the mine.

On Achillea millefolium, Anacyclus pyrethrum, Anthemis, Tanacetum vulgare, Tripleurospermum, Tripleurospermum maritimum and Tripleurospermum maritimum x inodora in Britain and other Asteraceae elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded in Canada.

Phytomyza pullula Zetterstedt, 1848 [Diptera: Agromyzidae].



XHTML Validator Last updated 07-Jul-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page