Beta vulgaris, Hungary, Kimle © László Érsek

mine

Blotch mines, generally occupying an entire leaf, usually containing several larvae. Much, half deliquescent, green frass. Larvae are head- and feet-less maggots. At the beginning of the mine a lower-surface group of about 5 empty oval egg shells close together, their long sides parallel. However, the larvae can leave a mine and restart elsewhere, therefore mines may occur without egg shells. Pupation external. The larvae do not penetrate into the petiole or stem, and the mines are not completely full depth (cf. Delina species).

host plants

Amaranthaceae, oligophagous

Atriplex patula; Beta vulgaris & subsp. maritima; Chenopodiastrum hybridum; Chenopodium, album, bonus-henricus; Spinacia oleracea.

BENELUX

BE not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2008).

NE recorded (Beuk, Prijs & de Jong, 2002a).

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2008).

distribution within Europe

From Scandinavia and northern Russia tot Germany and Hungary, and from the UK to Poland (Fauna Europaea, 2008).

egg

The egg shell has a pattern of rathern fine ridges that run straightly (d’Aguilar & Missonier, 1957a, 1962a).

larva

The mandibles have a number of teeth, of varying size; the angle between the terminal and the penultimate teeth is almost straight, not sharp as in P. hyoscyami (d’Aguilar & Missonier, 1957a, 1962a). However, Dušek (1970a) writes that he was unable to find a difference, either in egg, larva, or puparium, with hyoscyami.

mandibles of P. hyoscyami (top) and P. betae (bottom), according to d’Aguilar & Missonier, 1962)

synonyms

Pegomya hyoscyami var. betae; P. vicina Lintner, 1883. Also Pegomya betae atriplicis in the interpretation by Hering and other authors is doubtless a synonym of betae. The types of P. atriplicis Goureau, 1851, and P. atriplicia (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851), both reared from the same material of Atriplex hortensis are lost and interpretation is not possible (Michelsen, 1980a).

notes

Much confusion has existed about the Pegomya species on Amaranthaceae and Solanaceae. Much of it has been cleared by the revision by Michelsen (1980a), but records from the older literature should be regarded with caution.

Although ths Fauna Europaea (2008) indicates that the species occurs in Germany, it is not mentioned in the checklist of German anthomyiids by Teschner (1999a).

references

d’Aguilar & Missonier (1957a, 1962a), Ahr (1966a), Amsel & Hering (1933a, Beiger (1960a), Beuk, Prijs & de Jong (2002a), Buhr (1933a), Chandler (1998a), Darvas, Skuhravá & Andersen (2000a), Drăghia (1968a, 1972a), Dušek (1970a), Eiseman (2018a), Hering (1936b, 1957a, 1960a), Maček (1999a), de Meijere (1939a), Michelsen (1980a), Miles (1953a), Ostrauskas, Pakalniškis & Taluntytė (2003a), Robbins (1991a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Skuhravy ao (1967a), Sønderup (1949a), Starý (1930a), Suwa (1970a), Ureche (2010a).