Aulagromyza similis (Brischke, 1880)
Knautia arvensis, Germany, Schwarzwald, Rohrhardsberg, 24.viii.2018 © Cor Zonneveld (in the background Chromatomyia ramosa)

Knautia arvensis Engeland, Reach Cutting, Cambridgeshire © Ian Barton
mine
Unusually long (up to 16 cm), upper-surface, shallow (whitish) gallery that gradually widens strongly. Sometimes a few small grains of frass in the initial part of the mine. Otherwise the mine is either completely free from frass, or a few big lumps are deposited near the exit slit. Pupation outside the mine.
hostplants
Asteraceae, Caprifoliaceae: narrowly polyphagous
Centaurea atropurpurea, jacea, phrygia subsp. pseudophrygia + stenolepis; Knautia arvensis, dipsacifolia, drymeia, midzorensis; Scabiosa columbaria; Succisa pratensis.
Hering (1924a) also mentions Campanula trachelium.
phenology
Larvae in May-June (Hering, 1957a).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Mortelmans ao, 2014a).
NE not recorded ((Fauna Europaea, 2007).
LUX not recorded ((Fauna Europaea, 2007).
distribution within Europe
From Scandinavia to Spain, Italy and Roumania, and from Ireland to Belarus (Fauna Europaea, 2007; Gil Ortiz, 2009a).
larva
Rear spiraculum with c. 30 papillae.
synonyms
Paraphytomyza, Phytagromyza similis; Phytagromyza centaureana Hering, 1925; Phytomyza praecedens Strobl, 1898.
references
Beiger (1955a, 1960a, 1965a, 1970a, 1976a), Buhr (1932a, 1941b, 1964a), Černý & Merz (2007a), Černý & Vála (1996a), Černý, Vála & Barták (2001a), Gil Ortiz (2009a), Gil-Ortiz, Martinez & Jiménez-Peydró (2010a), Griffiths (1962a), Hartig (1939a), Hering (1924a, 1925b, 1955b, 1957a), Huber (1969a), Kvičala (1938a), Maček (1999a), Michalska (1970a, 1972a, 1976a), Mortelmans, Boeraeve, Tamsyn, Proesmans & Dekeukeleire (2014a), Nowakowski (1954a), Pakalniškis (1998a), Papp & Černý (2016a), Robbins (1991a), Rydén (1926a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Skala (1936a, 1951a), Spencer (1954b, 1972a, 1976a), Starý (1930a), von Tschirnhaus (1999a).