Bassia smotherweed, burningbush, ragweed

Incl. Echinopsilon, Kochia, Maireana. Maireana ciliata (Kochia ciliata) is an Australian species that has been introduced into Spain.

Dichotomous table for leafminers

(For a dichotomous table for galls on Bassia by Hans Roskam click here)

1a larva mines from a transportable case, making fleck mines, without frass => 2

1b larva mines from the inside => 3

1c galls, etc => Tables for all parasites per species

2a case incrusted with sand grains; mouth angle c. 65°; (only?) on Maireana ciliata: Coleophora ciliataephaga

2b case without sand grains, mouth angle 20-30°; on Bassia species: Coleophora deviella

3a mine full depth, very clear; larva with chitinised head: Chrysoesthia sexguttella

3b mine upper- or lower-surface; larva a maggot => 4

4a at the start of the mine, at the underside, a group of elliptic eggs shells: Pegomya hyoscyami

4b no egg shells visible: Hydrellia griseola