The 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


THLASPI. Penny-cresses. [Brassicaceae]

Five species of Thlaspi are recorded in Britain. These include the native Field Penny-cress (T. arvense), Alpine Penny-cress (T. caerulescens) and Perfoliate Penny-cress (T. perfoliatum). The BSBI provide a downloadable plant crib for Brassicaceae.

Five British miners are recorded on Thlaspi.

A key to the European miners recorded on Thlaspi is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Key for the identification of the known mines of British
insects (Diptera and non-Diptera) recorded on Thlaspi




Polyphagous. On more than 40 host genera in 15 families, including Brassica and Capsella, but not yet on Thlaspi, in Britain. On Thlaspi elsewhere. Widespread throughout Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.






Polyphagous. On numerous genera of Brassicaceae, Asteraceae, Papaveraceae, Resedaceae, Tropaeolaceae and Violaceae, including Alliaria, Barbarea, Brassica, Cheiranthus, Cochlearia, Coincyia, Conringia, Diplotaxis, Erysimum, ? Eruca, ? Hesperis. Lepidium, Matthiola, Raphanus, ? Rorippa and Sinapis, but not yet on Thlaspi, in Britain and additional genera of these families, including Thlaspi, and Fabaceae elsewhere. Widespread, from Caithness in the north to Cornwall in the south of Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland, Europe, the East Palaearctic, Near East and Neartic Region.


1c > Leaf-miner: Mine linear, whitish, both upper and lower surface. Pupation internal, at the end of the mine with the anterior spiracles projecting through the epidermis (Spencer, 1976: 433). Upper-surface, less often lower-surface corridor. Frass in isolated grains. Pupation within the mine, in a, usually lower-surface, pupal chamber. A long whitish upper surface corridor, which eventually goes lower surface.


Chromatomyia horticola is recorded on 160 plant genera in 31 families, of which 55 plant genera in 19 families, including Thlaspi, in Britain.


1d > Leaf-miner: Rather small, untidy, full depth, often branched corridor, often close to the leaf margin. Sides irregularly eaten out. Frass in a greyish-green central line that is interrupted from time to time, sometimes partly in strings. In times of rain the frass may run out and appear greenish. Usually several mines in a leaf. The larva is rather shapeless, with a well-sclerotised head. The body is whitish; head greyish brown with Y-shaped lighter marking. Pronotum with a pair of brownish shields. The mandibles have two teeth.

Mine of Ceutorhynchus minutus on Raphanus sativus
Image: © Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Ceutorhynchus minutus larva,  dorsal
Ceutorhynchus minutus larva, lateral
Image: © Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Polyphagous. On numerous genera and species of Brassicaceae, Capparaceae, Resedaceae and Tropaeolaceae, including Cochlearia, but not yet on Thlaspi, in Britain and numerous Brassicaceae, including Thlaspi, elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland.



Polyphagous. On numerous genera and species of several plant families, but not yet on Thlaspi, in Britain. On Thlaspi elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded from the Channel Is.

Cnephasia incertana (Treitschke, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae].

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