Phytoliriomyza jacarandae Steyskal & Spencer, 1978
Diptera, Agromyzidae
mine
Corridor, widening into a large blotch. Pupation external.
hostplants
Bignoniaceae, monophagous
Jacaranda mimosifolia.
distribution within Europe
Italy.
notes
Jacaranda is a tree, native to South America, with a very high ornamental value. For this reason the species is cultivated in all subtropical regions of the world. Ph. jacarandae is described from California, and known furthermore from South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
The miner has been found on a few widely separated localities in Italy, and it may be expected that the species will soon show up also elsewhere in Mediterranean Europe. The damage suffered by the trees seems to be considerable.
references
Bella, Mazzeo & Süss (2007a).
12/07/2010