| Phytomyza ranunculi | |
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| Phytomyza ranunculi Netherlands | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Agromyzidae |
| Subfamily: | Phytomyzinae |
| Genus: | Phytomyza |
| Species: | P. ranunculi |
| Binomial name | |
| Phytomyza ranunculi | |
| Synonyms | |
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Phytomyza ranunculi is a species of fly in the family Agromyzidae. It is found in the Palearctic . [14] [15] [16]
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. [17]
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 insect occurs on a different part of a plant from where it can normally be found . [18]
The larvae pupates into a greyish or brown puparium, with posterior spiracles each with about 18-20 bulbs. [17] 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). [18]
The fly is widespread throughout Europe. [17]
P. ranunculi pupae are particularly at risk from parasitism. Up to 75% of all reared puparium have been shown to be parasitised. [18] Parasitoids of this species include numerous species in the hymenoptera superfamilies Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea: [17]
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