Phytomyza ranunculi (Schrank 1803)

Phytomyza ranunculi is a species of fly in the family Agromyzidae. It is found in the Palearctic .^[1][2][3]

Life cycle

Phytomyza ranunculi leaf mine

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]

Distribution

The fly is widespread throughout Europe.^[4]

Parasitoids

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]

References