Ophiomyia melandricaulis Hering, 1943

Diptera, Agromyzidae

mine

The mine generally starts as a fine, lower-surface, corridor the seems to end upon a thick vein. In reality the corridor continues by way of the petiole to the stem, where a very long mine is formed in the rind. Frass in widely spaced grains. Pupation within the mine, mostly just above a node; the front spiracula penetrate the epidermis.

hostplants

Caryophyllaceae, oligophagous

Cerastium fontanum subsp. vulgare, glomeratum; Holosteum umbellatum; Moehringia trinervia; Myosoton aquaticum; Silene alba, dioica, flos-cuculi; Stellaria media, nemorum.

Silene dioica is the main hostplant.

phenology

Larvae in September (Buhr, 1964a; Hering, 1957a).

BENELUX

Not known from the Benelux countries (Fauna Europaea, 2008).

distribution within Europe

From Lithuania to the Iberian Peninsula, and from the UK to Slovakia (Fauna Europaea, 2008).

larva

The larva is briefly described by de Meijere (1943a).

puparium

Yellowish; rear spiraculum bifid, with 10 papillae (Hering, 1943a).

synonyms

Ophiomyia moehringiae Hering, 1962.

notes

In earlier instalments of this site I wrote that de Meijere (1939a) had recorded this species from the Netherlands. This is not correct (confusion with the name O. melandryi de Meijere, a stem borer).

references

Ahr (1966a), Buhr (1964a), Černý (2001a, 2007a), Černý, Barták & Roháček (2004a), Černý & Merz (2006a), Černý & Vála (1999a), Černý, Vála & Barták (2001a), Griffiths (1962a), Hering (1943a, 1944d, 1957a, 1962a), de Meijere (1943a, 1950a), Ostrauskas, Pakalniškis & Taluntytė (2003a), Pakalniškis (1990a, 1993a, 1994a), Papp & Černý (2015a), Robbins (1991a), Spencer (1956a, 1960a, 1964a, 1967a, 1971a, 1972a), von Tschirnhaus (1999a).

03/04/2017