Tag Archives: leaf-mining fly

Leafmines: Cephalomyza labiatarum

26 Monday Aug 2024

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Since I read earlier in the year about the larvae of one of the case-bearing moths living on Hedge woundwort (Stachys sylvatica), I’ve been checking those plants whenever I see them. I’ve not yet found the Coleophora species but, a week or so ago, I did find some leafmines I’d never seen before. These are the larval mines of the fly Cephalomyza (formerly Amauromyza) labiatarum and they can, in fact, be found on a very wide range of plants (the Agromyzidae Recording Scheme website lists the following species: Ajuga, Ballota, Galeopsis, Glechoma, Lallemantia, Lamiastrum, Lamium, Leonurus, Lycopsis, Marrubiam, Melissa, Mentha, Prunella, Satureja, Scutellaris, Stachys, Teucrium, and Verbena). As you can hopefully see from my photos, the larva’s initial feeding creates a long thin line, which later becomes a large blotch mine. You can see more images on the Agromyzidae RS site referenced above and on the British Leafminers website.

240826 Cephalomyza labiatarum

Leafmines: on Himalayan balsam

27 Monday Sep 2021

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Here’s a leafmine I hope you don’t find but you probably will, and easily. So, why do I hope you don’t? Because this mine is found on plants of the Impatiens species, including the highly invasive plant Himalayan balsam (or Indian balsam, as it’s officially known; i.e. Impatiens grandulifera).

210927 himalayan balsam

The leafminer is the larva of Phytoliriomyza melampyga, which creates an initial narrow twisting gallery that then widens into a variable whitish blotch. The larva’s frass can easily be seen within the mine. The adult fly is actually rather cute, with mostly yellow, a bit of black colouring. (You can see a short video of it on Wikipedia.)

210927 Phytoliriomyza melampyga

The NBN Atlas is currently showing just 192 records for this species in Britain, though, like most flies, it’s probably under-recorded.

Leaf mine: Chromatomyia primulae

18 Thursday Feb 2021

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I was feeling a little miffed that my walk plans have been stymied by a slippery sided stream that I didn’t fancy trying to jump and was retracing my steps when I spotted this flowering Primrose (Primula vulgaris) – and it made my day, partly because I love these buttery yellow flowers, but also because of the mines on its leaves, a new species for me.

210218 Chromatomyia primulae (1)

These are the mines of a tiny fly, Chromatomyia primulae, whose larvae also mine the leaves of Cowslip (Primula veris). I couldn’t see any larvae in the mines, which concurs with the information on the British Leafminers website that says the larvae are active in January, and then again from June to November. If I’d known, I could’ve looked for any pupae, which apparently lodge themselves in the mine next to a leaf vein. I might have to go back for a closer look.

Very few of these mines have been recorded in south Wales – only 1 record in each of the 1km-squares around me – though that is probably because they are under-recorded. And that may be the same in other parts of Britain, so do please record any you see. You can read more about these leaf miners on the British Leafminers site referenced above and on the UK Fly mines website here.