Phytomyza ranunculi
Phytomyza ranunculi is a species of fly in the family Agromyzidae. It is found in the Palearctic.
Life cycle
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.In 2018 the first confirmed adults were reared from stem-mines of meadow buttercup. This is a rare example of 'organoxeny', where a phytophagous insect occurs on a different part of a plant from where it can normally be found.
The larvae pupates into a greyish or brown puparium, with posterior spiracles each with about 18-20 bulbs. Adult flies are approximately 2 mm in length. Adults are highly variable in colour, with several named variants including a pale form and dark forms.
Distribution
The fly is widespread throughout Europe.Parasitoids
P. ranunculi pupae are particularly at risk from parasitism. Up to 75% of all reared puparium have been shown to be parasitised. Parasitoids of this species include numerous species in the hymenoptera superfamilies Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea:- Chrysocharis idyia
- Chrysocharis orbicularis
- Chrysocharis pentheus
- Chrysocharis pubicornis
- Chrysocharis viridis
- Pediobius metallicus
- Cirrospilus vittatus Walker, 1838
- Diglyphus chabrias
- Diglyphus isaea
- Diglyphus minoeus
- Diglyphus pusztensis
- Hemiptarsenus ornatus
- Hemiptarsenus unguicellus
- Necremnus tidius
- Pnigalio soemius
- Miscogaster elegans Walker, 1833
- Miscogaster maculata Walker, 1833
- Stenomalina gracilis
- Epiclerus panyas
- Chorebus kama
- Coloneura stylata Förster, 1862
- Dacnusa areolaris
- Dacnusa confinis Ruthe, 1859
- Dacnusa laeta
- Dacnusa laevipectus Thomson, 1895
- Dacnusa macrospila
- Dacnusa maculipes Thomson, 1895
- Dacnusa melicerta
- Dacnusa sibirica Telenga, 1935
- Dapsilarthra sylvia
- Exotela gilvipes
- Grammospila rufiventris
- Colastes braconius Haliday, 1833
- Apodesmia posticatae
- Opius pallipes Wesmael, 1835
- ''Opius orbiculator''