Ophiomyia orbiculata [Diptera: Agromyzidae] in Leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects

(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera)

by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds


Ophiomyia orbiculata (Hendel, 1931)
[Diptera: Agromyzidae]


Melanagromyza orbiculata Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 169
Melanagromyza hexachaeta Hendel, 1931. Fliegen palaearkt. Reg. 6(2): 166. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1964: 799]
Melanagromyza nostradamus Hering, 1933. Konowia. 12: 39. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1964: 799]
Melanagromyza paracelsus Hering, 1933. Konowia. 12: 40. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1966: 53]
Melanagromyza cagliostro Rohdendorf-Holmanova, 1958. Rev. Ent. U.S.S.R. 37: 385. [Synonymised by Spencer, 1964: 799]
Ophiomyia orbiculata (Hendel, 1931); Spencer, 1964a. Beitr. Ent. 14: 799
Ophiomyia orbiculata (Hendel, 1931); Spencer, 1966. Beitr. Ent. 16: 53
Ophiomyia orbiculata (Hendel, 1931); Spencer, 1972b. Handbk ident. Br. Ins. 10(5g): 21 (figs 35-6), 25, 117, 118
Ophiomyia orbiculata (Hendel, 1931); Spencer, 1976. Fauna ent. Scand. 5(1): 72-3, figs 89-90
Ophiomyia orbiculata (Hendel, 1931); Spencer, 1990. Host specialization in the World Agromyzidae (Diptera) : 112, 127, 128 (figs 454-5), 140, 163, 178.


Stem-miner: An external stem mine. Pupation in the stem, near or even below ground level, with the anterior spiracles projecting through the epidermis (Spencer, 1976: 72-3).

Larva: The larvae of flies are leg-less maggots without a head capsule (see examples). They never have thoracic or abdominal legs. They do not have chewing mouthparts, although they do have a characteristic cephalo-pharyngeal skeleton (see examples), usually visible internally through the body wall.

Puparium: The puparia of flies are formed within the hardened last larval skin or puparium and as a result sheaths enclosing head appendages, wings and legs are not visible externally (see examples).

Reddish-brown; posterior spiracles widely separated, each having 17-22 bulbs (Spencer, 1972b: 21 (fig. 36), 25; Spencer, 1976: 72, 73 (fig. 90).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Fabaceae
Lathyrus latifolius Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea Robbins, 1991: 47
Pisum sativum Garden Pea Spencer, 1972b: 117

Hosts elsewhere:

Fabaceae
Pisum sativum Garden Pea Spencer, 1976: 72

Time of year - mines: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: June-July.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in south. Middlesex (Scratch Wood), Hertfordshire (Potters Bar), Cambridgeshire (Snailwell), Suffolk (Orford) (Spencer, 1972b: 25) and Warwickshire (Coventry) (Robbins, 1991: 47); Durham and Glamorgan (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in much of Europe including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Hungary, [former] Yugoslavia, the [former] U.S.S.R. (Spencer, 1976: 72), Germany (Spencer, 1976: 542), Austria, Belarus, Czech republic, European Turkey, French mainland, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spanish mainland and Yugoslavia (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available
Chorebus orbiculatae Griffiths, 1967 Braconidae: Alysiinae


External links: Search the internet:


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