Aulagromyza orbitalis (Melander)

Eiseman, Charles S. & Lonsdale, Owen, 2018, New state and host records for Agromyzidae (Diptera) in the United States, with the description of thirty new species, Zootaxa 4479 (1), pp. 1-156 : 26-27

Aulagromyza orbitalis (Melander)

( Fig. 100 )

Material examined. IOWA: Winneshiek Co., 43°26'32.50"N, 92°0'10.32"W, 17.vi.2013, em. by 6.vii.2013, MJ Hatfield, ex Triosteum aurantiacum (1♂) ; MASSACHUSETTS: Hampshire Co., Pelham, Butter Hill Wildlife Sanctuary , 2.vi.2015, em . 23–27.vi.2015, C.S. Eiseman, ex Diervilla lonicera , #CSE1646, CNC564730, CNC564731 (2♂); NORTH CAROLINA: Scotland Co., Laurinburg, St. Andrews University , 14.iv.2016, em . 13.v.2016, T.S. Feldman, ex Lonicera sempervirens , #CSE2460, CNC653946, CNC653947 (2♀).

Hosts. Caprifoliaceae : * Diervilla lonicera Mill. , Lonicera dioica L., L. * sempervirens L. , Symphoricarpos albus (L.) S.F. Blake, S. mollis Nutt. , S. rotundifolius A. Gray. , * Triosteum aurantiacum E.P. Bicknell ( Frick 1959; Spencer 1969).

Leaf mine. ( Fig. 100 ) On upper leaf surface; initially linear but greatly widening, becoming funnel-shaped or more blotchlike; normally at the edge of the leaf ( Spencer 1969; Spencer & Steyskal 1986). The mines on Diervilla and Lonicera sempervirens varied from green to yellowish-green to whitish, with the frass tending to be regularly deposited in alternating, closely spaced particles or streaks in the narrow linear portion, then irregularly or indistinctly as the mine widened. Many followed the leaf edge, but some on Diervilla began near the midrib. Those on L. sempervirens were quite elongate, never forming a distinct blotch but developing irregular margins in the wider terminal portion. The single photographed mine on Triosteum was partly green and partly whitish, without visible frass. It began along the leaf margin but curved inward toward the midrib before forming a blotch.

Puparium. Yellowish-brown; formed outside the mine.

Distribution. USA: CA, *IA, ID, KS, *MA, MI, *NC, WA; Canada: AB, MB.

Comments. Spencer (1969) stated that there are at least two generations per year, but the evidence for this is unclear, apart from a single male caught in Manitoba in late August. All of the other specimens he cited were from Alberta and were either caught in June or reared from leaf mines collected in June. The two reared specimens were both females, one collected on June 10 and emerging on June 26, the other collected on June 7 and emerging the following spring.

No agromyzid has previously been associated with Triosteum . We have also seen leaf mines on T. perfoliatum L. in North Carolina that were consistent with those of Aulagromyza orbitalis .

Figures

FIGURES 97–108. leaf mines; 97: Amauromyza flavifrons (Meigen) in Silene rotundifolia; 98: Am. shepherdiae Sehgal in Shepherdia canadensis; 99: Aulagromyza luteoscutellata (de Meijere) in Lonicera morrowii; 100: Au. orbitalis (Melander) in Diervilla lonicera; 101: Au. populicola (Walker) in Populus deltoides; 102: Calycomyza artemisivora spec. nov. in Artemisia ludoviciana; 103: C. avira spec. nov. in Bidens frondosa; 104: C. eupatoriphaga spec. nov. in Ageratina altissima, young mine; 105: same mine, complete; 106: C. eupatorivora Spencer in Chromolaena odorata; 107: C. flavinotum (Frick) in Arctium minus; 108: C. flavinotum in Eupatorium perfoliatum.