Phytomyza ranunculi is a species of fly in the family Agromyzidae. It is found in the Palearctic .[1][2][3]
Eggs are laid on plants in the Ranunculaceae family. The larvae are, primarily, leaf-miners. They form a long, conspicuous white mine with the frass present in close strings.[4]
In 2018 the first confirmed adults were reared from stem-mines of meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris). This is a rare example of 'organoxeny', where a phytophagous insecy occurs on a different part of a plant from where it can normally be found .[5]
The larvae pupates into a greyish or brown puparium, with posterior spiracles each with about 18-20 bulbs.[4] Adult flies are approximately 2 mm in length. Adults are highly variable in colour, with several named variants including a pale form (P. ranunculi var. flava) and dark forms (P. ranunculi var. flavoscutellata and var. islandica).[5]
The fly is widespread throughout Europe.[4]
P. ranunculi pupae are particularly at risk from parasitism. Up to 75% of all reared puparium have been shown to be parasitised.[5] Parasitoids of this species include numerous species in the hymenoptera superfamilies Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea:[4]
Phytomyza ranunculi is a species of fly in the family Agromyzidae. It is found in the Palearctic .
