Phytomyza ranunculivora Hering

Guglya, Yuliia, 2025, Rearing mining flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae) from host plants as an instrument for associating females with males, with the description of two new species. Report 2, Zootaxa 5658 (1), pp. 1-86 : 44-49

Phytomyza ranunculivora Hering

( Figs. 85–93 , 278–298 )

Material examined. Ukraine: Volyn Region: near Shatsk , 51°28'28"N, 23°48'27"E, 23.v.2019, Yu.Guglya (2♀) ; near Pulmo , 51°32'07"N, 23°45'49"E, 24.v.2019, Yu.Guglya (3♂) ; Transcarpathia: near Chop , 48°27'N, 22°12'E, 4.v.2018, Yu. Guglya (1♀) ; near Vorochevo , 196 m a.s.l., 48 42’N, 22 26’E, 24.vi.2018, Yu. Guglya (1♀) ; near Nevytske , 48°41'N, 22°25'E, 14.vii.2017, Yu. Guglya (2♀) ; Kamianytsa , 48°41'N, 22°25'E, 07.v.2018, Yu. Guglya (2♂ 2♀) ; same locality, 16.vii.2017, Yu. Guglya (1♂) ; same locality, 18.vii.2017 —pupation outside the mine, Yu. Guglya, ex Geranium sp. (1 puparium) ; between Antalivtsy and Nevytske, Antalivska Poliana , 936 m a.s.l., 48°40'N, 22°29'E, 05.v.2018, Yu. Guglya (1♀) ; Uzhhorod, Kalvaria , 48°37'N, 22°17'E, 21.viii.2017, Yu. Guglya (1♂) ; near Mukachevo, Karpaty , 48°31'N, 22°52'E, 18.viii.2017, Yu. Guglya (2♂) ; Kvasy , 560 m a. s. l., 48°9'52"N, 24°17'3"E, 12.viii.2021, Yu. Guglya (1♀) ; same locality, 14.viii.2021 —pupation outside the mine, 30.viii.2021 and 15.ii.2022 —imago, Yu. Guglya, ex Geranium sp. (1♂ 1♀) ; same locality, 16.viii.2021 —pupation outside the mine, 31.viii.–1.ix.2021 —imago, Yu. Guglya, ex Ranunculus sp. (3♀ 1 puparium) ; E Yasynia, 1105 m a.s.l., 48 12'2"N, 24 25'9"E, 20.viii.2022 —pupation outside the mine, 1.v.2023 —dried imago inside the puparium found, Yu. Guglya, ex Ranunculus repens (1♂ 1♀); 1 km N Rakhiv Center , 687 m a.s.l., 48°2'N, 24°15'E, 9.v.2018, Yu. Guglya (1♀) ; Rakhiv , 650 m a.s.l., 48°2'N, 24°13'E, 22.vii.2017, Yu. Guglya (1♀) ; 4 km S Rakhiv , 48°1'N, 24°10'E, 11.v.2018, Yu. Guglya (1♀) ; near Lukh, Kuzyi location, 350 m a.s.l., 47°56'N, 24°6'E, 10.v.2018, Yu. Guglya (1♀) ; between Hoverla and Petros Mts , “Peremychka”, 1530 m a. s. l., 48 09'34"N, 24 28'06"E, 19.viii.2019 —pupation outside the mine, 5.ix.2019 and 3.iii.2020 —imago, Yu. Guglya, ex Ranunculus acris (2♀ 1 puparium) ; Ivano-Frankivsk Region: foothills of Dantsyzh Mt. , 1460 m a.s.l., 48 8'4"N, 24 32'52"E, 28.viii.2022 —pupation outside the mine, 16.ix.2022 —imago, Yu. Guglya, ex Ranunculus sp. (1♂) ; Kyiv Region: near Rzhyshchiv , ecostation “Hlyboki Balyky”, 49°57'44"N, 31°07'08"E, 23.vi.2021 —pupation outside the mine, 6.vii.2021 —imago, Yu. Guglya, ex Ranunculus polyanthemos (5♂ 1♀) ; Kharkiv Region: N Kharkiv , 50°4'N, 36°18'E, 28.v.2017, Yu. Guglya (1♀) ; near Petrivske , 49°10'N, 36°58'E, 17.vii.2011 —pupation outside the mine, Yu. Guglya, ex Geranium sylvaticum (1♀) ; near Rubizhne , 50°07'N, 36°46'E, 21.v.2017, Yu. Guglya (2♀) ; same locality, 19.vii.2014, Yu. Guglya (1♂) ; near Haidary , 49°37'N, 36°19'E, 31.vii.2020 —leaves with mines and puparia on lower leaf side outside the mine collected, 8.viii.2020 —imago, Yu. Guglya, ex Geranium pratense (2♂) .

Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora : Transcarpathia: near Vorochevo , 196 m a.s.l., 48 42’N, 22 26’E, 24.vi.2018, Yu. Guglya (1♂); Kharkiv Region: near Rubizhne, 50 10’N, 36 47’E, 21.vii.2014 —pupation outside the mine, 2.viii.2014 —imago, Yu. Guglya, ex Geranium palustre (1♂ 1♀).

Hosts. Phytomyza ranunculivora : Ranunculaceae : Ranunculus L. ( Benavent-Corai et al., 2005). Geraniaceae : Geranium pratense L. and G. sylvaticum L.—newly recorded host plants.

Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora : Geraniaceae : Geranium palustre L.—a newly recorded host plant.

Mine. Phytomyza ranunculivora ( Fig. 85, 88 ): The solitary larva forms a white irregular linear upper surface leaf mine. Frass is arranged in large and small irregularly spaced grains. Pupation takes place outside the mine in the soil or attached to the lower leaf surface.

Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora ( Fig. 91 ): Mine shape and size are similar, with tunnels 1.5× as wide as width of those in P. ranunculivora .

Puparium. Phytomyza ranunculivora ( Figs. 86, 87, 89, 90 ): Yellow, 1.8 mm long, with deep segmentation; surface quite smooth except last two abdominal segments finely wrinkled. Posterior spiracles set on wide and short conical protuberances that are entirely separate; blackish-brown, glossy and two-horned. Ventral portion of last abdominal segment distinctly protruding posteriorly viewed from the side. Anal plate yellow or dark yellow, distinctly protruding above the surface of the puparium viewed from the side and directed ventro-posteriorly.

Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora ( Figs. 92, 93 ): The puparium is uniformly paler than in P. ranunculivora .

Cephalopharingeal skeleton. Phytomyza ranunculivora ( Fig. 281 ): Right mouthhook larger dorsally than the left, both with ventro-anterior portion acute, abducted ventrally. Mouthhooks bear two sharp accessory teeth which are uniformly curved and directed ventrally; dorsal teeth slightly larger than ventral. Right mouthhook bears elongated more weakly sclerotized sclerite dorsally. Mouthhooks, intermediate sclerite and anterior two-fifths of dorsal cornu are strongly sclerotized. Intermediate sclerite straight, uniformly tapering anteriorly, bearing two sharp teeth—on ventral margin directed ventrally and on dorsal margin directed dorso-anteriorly. Well sclerotized part of dorsal cornu 0.19× as wide as height of right mouthhook. Ventral cornu bears large “closed” window posteriorly. Indentation index 80.

Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora ( Fig. 288 ): Both mouthhooks with ventro-anterior portion rounded, abducted ventrally. Right mouthhook bears triangular more weakly sclerotized sclerite dorsally. Intermediate sclerite bears one sharp tooth on the posterior third of ventral margin directed ventro-posteriorly. Well sclerotized part of dorsal cornu 0.12× as wide as height of right mouthhook. Indentation index 77.

Female head. Phytomyza ranunculivora ( Figs. 278, 279 ): Bicolour—frons, lunule and gena yellowish-brown, the rest blackish-brown; 1 st fl of medium size, elongate, with thick pale pubescence; fronto-orbital plate not visible laterally, shining, with distinct contours (frontal view); 1 ors, 1–2 ori, lower very short; lunule of medium height, broad, rounded dorsally, reaching the level of ori p; gena and parafacial together medially 0.2× as high as maximum vertical height of eye.

Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora ( Figs. 285, 286 ): Bicolour—frons, lunule, parafacial and gena pale brown, the remaining brown; fronto-orbital plate not shining, colour of fronto-orbital plate and frons slightly differ; 2 ors, 1 ori.

Wing. Phytomyza ranunculivora ( Fig. 280 ): Hyaline, with yellowish undertone; with costa, R 1+2, R 3+4 brown, the remaining veins pale; costa ending after R 3+4; second cross vein absent; calypter and margin beige, fringe slightly darker. Wing length 2.0 mm.

Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora ( Fig. 287 ): As in P. ranunculivora .

Male genitalia. Phytomyza ranunculivora ( Figs. 293, 295 ): Postgonite large, elongated, 3.6× as long as its maximum width; widest in apical half; bears one long seta; with set at a distance finger-shaped uniformly curved lobe located apically. Hypophallus arcuate viewed from below, strongly sclerotized, 0.9× as long as basiphallus viewed from the side. Male terminalia except postgonite depicted and described in Papp & Černý (2019).

Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora ( Figs. 292, 294, 296–298 ): Hypandrium U-shaped, with arms widening anteriorly. Postgonite large, elongated, 3.35× as long as its maximum width; widest medially; bears one long seta; with slightly set at a distance acute lobe located apically. Ejaculatory apodeme small, with triangular blade; base small, curved, with sperm sac 0.4× as wide as apodemal blade. Hypophallus arcuate viewed from below, relatively shorter and less sclerotized than in P. ranunculivora , 0.7–0.8× as long as basiphallus viewed from the side. Tubules of distiphallus arched in medial third, directed anteriorly in reared specimen and dorso-anteriorly in captured specimen viewed from the side. Basiphallus, paramesophalli and basal third of distophallus similar to those in P. ranunculivora (see in Papp & Černý 2019).

Female genitalia. Phytomyza ranunculivora ( Figs. 282–285 ): Spermathecae of medium size, 0.21–0.27× as high as anterior part of oviscape. Proctiger generally cylindrical, slightly rounded anteriorly and posteriorly; with pair of long setae located on posterior margin between cerci. Cerci located not far from each other, distance between them 0.4× as wide as cercus. Cercus angulate, oblique apically, 0.24× as long as proctiger; short setae located apically, few long setae located subapically. Spermathecae unequal in size, brown, with wrinkled surface, squared, slightly tapering apically. Internal duct invagination tapering medially, as deep as height of spermatheca. Spermathecal duct narrow, wrinkled, partly with distinct sclerotization; length of more sclerotized portion of spermathecal duct 6.66× as long as height of spermatheca. Ventral receptacle brown, S-shaped, with well sclerotized tail that is bowl-shaped in basal half. Body of receptacle oval, wider than high, 1.52× as wide as its height; with slightly curved basal connecting tube, as long as width of oval part, strongly sclerotized. Opening of medium size, 0.7× as wide as the diameter of oval part of the body. Basal connecting tube 1.4× as wide as tail.

Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora ( Figs. 289–291 ): Spermathecae of medium size, 0.24× as high as anterior part of oviscape. Proctiger uniformly widened posteriorly; with four pairs of medium setae located on posterior margin between cerci. Cerci spaced from each other, distance between them as wide as width of cercus. Cercus 0.2× as long as proctiger; few medium and long setae located apically and subapically. Spermathecae equal in size, brown, wider than high, distinctly tapering apically. Internal duct invagination 0.8× as deep as height of spermatheca. Spermathecal duct very weakly sclerotized. Ventral receptacle brown, S-shaped, with well sclerotized tail that is bowl-shaped in basal half. Body of receptacle 1.4× as wide as its height; with slightly curved basal connecting tube, 1.35 × as long as width of oval part, strongly sclerotized. Opening 0.6× as wide as the diameter of oval part of the body. Basal connecting tube, 2.0× as wide as tail.

Distribution. European species recorded from 22 countries ( Papp & Černý 2019). Ukraine (first record).

Comments. The earliest specimen in Ukraine was captured at the beginning of May and the last mines with larvae were observed at the end of August. Three generations were registered in Ukraine ( Table 1).

During 2011–2022 in five sites of Ukraine, males and females of P.ranunculivora from Geranium sp. , G. palustre , G. pratense and G. sylvaticum were reared. Leaves of buttercup and geranium can be similar, but all mines were collected during flowering or fruiting of hosts which eliminates the possibility of misidentifying Ranunculus as Geranium . One captured male and a male and female reared from Geranium palustre , differ in many details from P. ranunculivora , as indicated above under P. cf. ranunculivora .

Ellis (2020) refers to mines of unknown agromyzid species in Geranium sp. leaves from the Netherlands that resembles mines of Phytomyza ranunculivora and P. cf. ranunculivora collected in Ukraine.

Several species are known from P. hendeli group ( Winkler et al. 2009), including the European species P. ranunculivora Hering and P. lingua Lundquist feed on Ranunculus spp . and Geranium spp. and Ranunculus lingua L. respectively ( Ranunculaceae , Geraniaceae ) ( Pakalniškis 1996, current data), P. rectae Hendel which feeds on Clematis recta L. ( Ranunculaceae ), P. albimargo Hering , P. hendeli Hering and P. pulsatilla Hering miners of Anemone species ( Ranunculaceae ), P. brischkei Hendel miners of Anthyllia vulneraria L. ( Fabaceae ), P. sedicola Hering a leaf miner of Hylotelephium spp . (= Sedum ) ( Crassulaceae ) ( Spencer 1976, Papp & Černý 2017), the Oriental P. rubicola Sasakawa which feeds inside leaves of Rubus palmatus ( Rosaceae ) ( Sasakawa & Matsumura 1998), the Nearctic species P. multifida Sehgal which feeds on Anemone multifida Poir and A. quinquefolia L. ( Eiseman et al 2015) and P. thalictrella Spencer ( Ranunculaceae ) which feeds on Thalictrum fendleri Engelm. ex A. Gray ( Spencer 1981) . Additionally, Wrinkler et al. (2009) suggested that the rare European species P. lappivora Hendel which feeds on Arctium tomentosum L. ( Asteraceae ) ( Hendel 1924) belongs to the hendeli group and didn’t include the oriental Clematis- miner P. esakii Sasakawa ( Sasakawa 1961) in any group, but suggested that it is from aquilegiae clade. In accordance with the structure of the male genitalia ( Spencer 1971, Sasakawa 1961) they both are clearly from the hendeli group. This group of species demonstrates a wide range of host specialization—plants of nine genera from six families.

Figures

FIGURES 85–90. Figures 85–87: Phytomyza ranunculivora Hering reared from Geranium pratensis; 85: mines in Geranium pratensis leaf; 86: empty puparium viewed from the side; 87: posterior segments of puparium (posterior view). Figures 88–90: Phytomyza ranunculivora Hering reared from Ranunculus repens; 88: mine in Ranunculus repens leaf; 89: empty puparium viewed from the side; 90: posterior segments of puparium (posterior view).

FIGURES 91–93. Figures 91–93: Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora. reared from Geranium palustre; 91: mines with larvae (indicated by arrows) in Geranium palustre leaf; 92: empty puparium viewed from the side; 93: posterior segments of puparium (posterior view).

FIGURES 278–284. Phytomyza ranunculivora Hering; 278: frontal view of head; 279: head viewed from the side; 280: wing; 281: cephalopharingeal skeleton; 282: oviscape, ventral receptacle and spermathecae proportionally; 283: spermathecae; 284: ventral receptacle; 285: proctiger.

FIGURES 285–291. Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora Hering; 285: frontal view of head; 286: head viewed from the side; 287: wing; 288: cephalopharingeal skeleton; 289: oviscape, ventral receptacle and spermathecae proportionally; 290 a, b: spermatheca and ventral receptacle proportionally: a: spermathecae; b: ventral receptacle; 291: proctiger.

FIGURES 292–298. Figures 292, 294, 296–298: Phytomyza cf. ranunculivora Hering; 292: hypandrium in captured specimen; 294: postgonite in captured specimen; 296: phallus and ejaculatory apodeme viewed from below proportionally; 297: phallus viewed from the side in reared specimen; 298: phallus viewed from the side in captured specimen. Figures 293, 295: Phytomyza ranunculivora Hering; 293: hypandrium in specimen reared from Ranunculus sp.; 295: postgonite in specimen reared from Ranunculus sp.