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Images and text © Stuart Dunlop
Introduction to Leaf Miners
Stuart Dunlop
April 2016
![Page 2: Introduction to Leaf Miners - Biodiversity Ireland · Introduction to Leaf Miners Stuart Dunlop April 2016. Four orders of insects make mines in Ireland: Moths Flies Sawflies Beetles](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecaa433d9706f5db33b39ef/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Four orders of insects make mines in
Ireland:
Moths Flies
Sawflies Beetles
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Mines are categorised as:
Gallery (or corridor) Blotch Blister
Note: some mines can be a combination of more than
one category
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Frass (dung) patterns are important:
Single line Multiple lines Distributed
(Moth) (Fly) (Sawfly)
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Host plant is extremely important
•Most miners mine either a single family or
single species of plant
•When trying to identify a mine, host plant
is the first consideration
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Shape of larva can also be used to assist with
identification:
Bullet-shape = Fly:
‘Round-shouldered’, with or
without pro-legs = Sawfly:
Note: head is to the upper left
in both cases
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Identification method:
1)Identify host plant
2)Visit reference website (see final page
for references) and select host plant
3)Try most likely order, comparing
subject mine with reference image(s)
and text
4)Try next most likely order if required
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These mines are easily found, and are distinctive:
Mines to start off with
Phytomyza ranunculi
(fly) on Buttercups
and Celandine
Phytomyza ilicis (fly)
on Holly
Orchestes fagi
(beetle) on Beech
![Page 9: Introduction to Leaf Miners - Biodiversity Ireland · Introduction to Leaf Miners Stuart Dunlop April 2016. Four orders of insects make mines in Ireland: Moths Flies Sawflies Beetles](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecaa433d9706f5db33b39ef/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Sample mines
Stigmella aurella, Moth, corridor mine on Bramble
![Page 10: Introduction to Leaf Miners - Biodiversity Ireland · Introduction to Leaf Miners Stuart Dunlop April 2016. Four orders of insects make mines in Ireland: Moths Flies Sawflies Beetles](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecaa433d9706f5db33b39ef/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Sample mines
Fenusa dohrnii, Sawfly, blotch mine on Alder
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Sample mines
Agromyza anthracina, Fly, short corridor (top right)
leading to blotch mine on Nettle
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Sample mines
Agromyza alnivora, Fly, corridor mine with two
rows of frass, on Alder
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Sample mines
Phyllonorycter maestingella, Moth, creased blister mine
on Beech
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Sample mines
Orchestes fagi, Beetle, corridor leading to blotch
mine on Beech
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Plant: Rosebay Willowherb
Mine:
• Only one mine is listed for Rosebay Willowherb: Mompha raschkiella
• Description: A narrow gallery, often following the midrib, occasionally tinged red
at the edges. This leads to a yellowish blotch containing dispersed frass.
Note: this mine has not yet formed a yellowish blotch, but the early part of the
description is correct.
Worked example #1
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Plant: Raspberry
Mine:
• Larva is round-shouldered, indicating Sawfly. Mine is a blotch
• Two blotch mines are listed for Raspberry:
• Metallus albipes has 3 dots on the thorax of the larva
• Metallus pumilus has 4 dots
• Our specimen has 3 dots, so the identification is Metallus albipes
Worked example #2
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Web references:
http://www.leafmines.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.bladmineerders.nl/
http://www.ukflymines.co.uk/
Also
http://donegalwildlife.altervista.org/leaf-miners.htm