Phytobia Explained

Phytobia is a genus of flies in the family Agromyzidae,^[1] with a worldwide distribution principally in Europe and the Americas.^[2]

Description

All known larvae of Phytobia feed on the young xylem within stems of woody plants, creating concealed galleries that may reach considerable lengths (reportedly up to 17 m in P. betulae).^[3] P. betulae lays its eggs on the bark of new-growth twigs of suitable birch trees and, after hatching, larvae tunnel downwards along the shoot within the differentiating xylem layer, sometimes reaching the base of the tree. Adults are small- to medium-sized flies (approximately 5 mm in the case of P. betulae).^[4] Confirmed host plant families for Phytobia species include Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Rosaceae, Salicaceae, Sapindaceae, and Cupressaceae in North America, Europe, and Australia, with Asteraceae also hypothesized to be a host family based on the finding of possible larval sign on the shrub Wedelia calycina in Guadeloupe. Larval tunnels mar the appearance of certain woods used commercially, and thus may be of economic importance.

Species

• Phytobia aethiops (Walker, 1853)^[5]
• Phytobia alocomentula Sasakawa, 1996
• Phytobia amazonica Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia amelanchieris (Greene, 1917)^[7]
• Phytobia aucupariae (Kangas, 1949)
• Phytobia betulivora Spencer, 1969^[8]
• Phytobia bifida Zlobin, 2002^[9]
• Phytobia bifistula Sasakawa, 2004^[10]
• Phytobia bimaculata Sasakawa, 2013
• Phytobia bohemica Cerný, 2001
• Phytobia brincki Spencer, 1965^[11]
• Phytobia cacaulandia Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia californica Spencer, 1981^[12]
• Phytobia cambii (Hendel, 1931)
• Phytobia carbonaria (Zetterstedt, 1848)^[13]
• Phytobia caudata Sasakawa, 2013
• Phytobia cerasiferae (Kangas, 1955)
• Phytobia clypeolata Sasakawa, 1996
• Phytobia colorata Spencer, 1977^[14]
• Phytobia communis Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia confessa Spencer, 1969^[8]
• Phytobia conigera Sasakawa, 2013
• Phytobia correntosana (Malloch, 1934)^[15]
• Phytobia coylesi Spencer, 1969^[8]
• Phytobia cucullata Sasakawa, 2013
• Phytobia delicata Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia diversata Spencer, 1961^[16]
• Phytobia dorsocentralis (Frost, 1936)^[17]
• Phytobia ecuadorensis Spencer, 1977^[18]
• Phytobia errans (Meigen, 1830)
• Phytobia fausta Spencer, 1977^[14]
• Phytobia flavifrontalis Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia flavohumeralis Sehgal, 1968^[19]
• Phytobia flavosquamata (Spencer, 1959)^[20]
• Phytobia frutescens Sasakawa, 1996
• Phytobia furcata (Sasakawa, 1963)
• Phytobia fusca Sasakawa, 1996
• Phytobia gigas Spencer, 1966^[21]
• Phytobia graeca Cerný, 2011^[22]
• Phytobia grandissima Singh & Ipe, 1973
• Phytobia guatemalensis Sasakawa, 2005^[23]
• Phytobia harai Sasakawa, 1994^[24]
• Phytobia hirticula (Sasakawa, 1963)
• Phytobia incerta Spencer, 1963^[25]
• Phytobia indecora (Malloch, 1918)^[26]
• Phytobia insulana Spencer, 1977^[14]
• Phytobia inusitata Spencer, 1966^[27]
• Phytobia ipeii Singh & Tandon, 1966
• Phytobia iridis (Hendel, 1927)^[28]
• Phytobia kallima Frost, 1936^[17]
• Phytobia kuhlmanni Spencer, 1966^[29]
• Phytobia lamasi Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia lanei Spencer, 1966^[29]
• Phytobia liepae Spencer, 1977^[14]
• Phytobia lineata Sasakawa, 1955^[30]
• Phytobia longipes Sasakawa, 1988^[31]
• Phytobia lunulata Hendel, 1920^[32]
• Phytobia luzonensis Sasakawa, 1996
• Phytobia maai (Spencer, 1962)^[33]
• Phytobia macalpinei Spencer, 1977^[14]
• Phytobia magna (Sasakawa, 1963)
• Phytobia malabarensis Spencer, 1977^[14]
• Phytobia mallochi (Hendel, 1924)^[34]
• Phytobia manifesta Spencer, 1977^[14]
• Phytobia matura Spencer, 1973^[35]
• Phytobia megapodema Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia mentula Sasakawa, 1992^[36]
• Phytobia millarae Spencer, 1977^[37]
• Phytobia monsonensis Sasakawa, 1992^[36]
• Phytobia morio (Brischke, 1881)^[38]
• Phytobia multisetosa Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia nigeriensis Spencer, 1977
• Phytobia nigrita (Malloch, 1914)^[39]
• Phytobia niheii Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia optabilis Spencer, 1977^[14]
• Phytobia pallida Spencer, 1986^[40]
• Phytobia pansa Sasakawa, 1996
• Phytobia papillata Sasakawa, 2013
• Phytobia paranaensis (Spencer, 1966)^[29]
• Phytobia peruensis Spencer, 1977^[18]
• Phytobia pipinna Sasakawa, 1992^[36]
• Phytobia planipalpis Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia powelli Spencer, 1981^[12]
• Phytobia prolata (Sasakawa, 1963)
• Phytobia propincua (Sasakawa, 1963)
• Phytobia pruinosa (Coquillett, 1902)^[41]
• Phytobia pruni (Grossenbacher, 1915)
• Phytobia prunivora Spencer, 1981^[12]
• Phytobia pseudobetulivora Zlobin, 2008^[42]
• Phytobia pyri Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia rabelloi Spencer, 1966^[29]
• Phytobia ruandensis (Spencer, 1959)^[20]
• Phytobia sasakawai Spencer, 1989^[43]
• Phytobia semibifurcata Zlobin, 2002^[9]
• Phytobia seticopia (Sasakawa, 1963)
• Phytobia setitibialis Sasakawa, 1992
• Phytobia setosa (Loew, 1869)^[44]
• Phytobia shizukoae Spencer, 1965^[11]
• Phytobia simpla Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia sinuosa Sasakawa, 2013
• Phytobia spinifera Sousa & Couri, 2017^[6]
• Phytobia spinulosa Sasakawa, 1992
• Phytobia subdiversata Sasakawa, 1996
• Phytobia terminalis (Sasakawa, 1963)
• Phytobia torulosa Sasakawa, 2013
• Phytobia triangularis (Sasakawa, 2013)^[45]
• Phytobia triplicis Zlobin, 2002^[9]
• Phytobia unica Spencer, 1973^[35]
• Phytobia vanduzeei Spencer, 1981^[12]
• Phytobia vilkamaai Zlobin, 2002^[9]
• Phytobia vindhyaensis Singh & Ipe, 1973
• Phytobia waltoni (Malloch, 1913)^[46]
• Phytobia xanthophora (Schiner, 1868)^[47]
• Phytobia xizangensis (Chen & Wang, 2008)^[48]

Notes and References

1. Book: Spencer . Kenneth A. . Agromyzidae (Diptera) of Economic importance Series Entomologica. 9 . 1973 . Dr. W. Junk bv . The Hague. D. Gld. . xii + 418 p.
2. Book: Spencer . Kenneth A. . Agromyzidae (Diptera) of Economic importance Series Entomologica. 9 . 1973 . Dr. W. Junk bv . The Hague. D. Gld. . xii + 418 p.
3. Sousa . Viviane Rodrigues de . Couri . Márcia Souto . 2017-12-18 . Phytobia (Diptera: Agromyzidae) from Brazil: new species, new record and a key to the Neotropical species . Zoologia . en . 34 . 1–25 . 10.3897/zoologia.34.e12308 . 1984-4689 . free .
4. Book: Lieutier, François . Day, Keith R. . Battisti, Andrea . Grégoire, Jean-Claude . Evans, Hugh F. . Bark and Wood Boring Insects in Living Trees in Europe, a Synthesis . 2007 . Springer Science & Business Media . 978-1-4020-2241-8 . 534–537.
5. Book: Walker. Frances. Diptera. Part IV, pp. 253-474, pls. 7-8. In [Saunders, W. W. (ed.)], Insecta Saundersiana: or characters of undescribed insects in the collection of William Wilson Sauders, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. Vol. 1. 1853. Van Voorst. London. 1–474.
6. Sousa . V.R. de . Couri . M.S. . Phytobia (Diptera: Agromyzidae) from Brazil: new species, new record and a key to the Neotropical species . Zoologia . 2017 . 34 . 25 pp. 10.3897/zoologia.34.e12308 . free .
7. Greene . C.T. . Two new cambium miners (Diptera) . J. Agric. Res. . 1917 . 10 . 313-318, 1 pl.
8. Spencer . K.A. . The Agromyzidae of Canada and Alaska . Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada . 1969 . 64 . 311 pp.
9. Zlobin . V.V. . Contribution to the knowledge of Oriental species of the genus Phytobia Lioy (Diptera: Agromyzidae) . Dipterological Research . 2002 . 13 . 1 . 67–81.
10. Sasakawa . M. . A revision of Melanesian Agromyzidae (Diptera) . Scientific Reports of Kyoto Prefectural University Human Environment and Agriculture . 2004 . 56 . 75–100.
11. Spencer . K.A. . Notes on the African Agromyzidae (Diptera) - 6 . Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa . 1965 . 28 . 233–276.
12. Spencer . K.A. . A revisionary study of the leaf-mining flies (Agromyzidae) of California . Univ. Calif., Div. Agric. Sci., Spec. Publ. No. . 1981 . 3273 . 489 pp.
13. Book: Zetterstedt . J.W. . Diptera Scandinaviae disposita et descipta. Tomus septimus . 1848 . Officina Lundbergiana . Lundae [= Lund.]. . 2581–2934.
14. Spencer . K.A. . A revision of the Australian Agromyzidae (Diptera) . Western Austr. Mus. Spec. Publ. . 1977 . 8 . 255 pp.
15. Malloch . J.R. . Acalyptrata (concl.). . Diptera of Patagonia and South Chile . 1934 . 6 . 393–489.
16. Spencer . K.A. . A synopsis of the Oriental Agromyzidae (Diptera) . Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London . 1961 . 113 . 4 . 55–110. 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1961.tb00802.x .
17. Frost . S.W. . New Central American Agromyzidae . Annals of the Entomological Society of America . 1936 . 29 . 2 . 298–318. 10.1093/aesa/29.2.298 .
18. Spencer . K.A. . Notes on world Agromyzidae (Diptera), with the description of 16 new species . Beiträge zur Entomologie . 1977 . 27 . 233–254.
19. Sehgal . V.K. . Descriptions of new species of flies of the family Agromyzidae from Alberta, Canada (Diptera) . Quaestiones Entomologicae . 1968 . 4 . 57–88.
20. Spencer . K.A. . A synopsis of the Ethiopian Agromyzidae (Diptera) . Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London . 1959 . 111 . 10 . 237–329. 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1959.tb02272.x .
21. Spencer . K.A. . Notes on the Oriental Agromyzidae - 4 . Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde . 1966 . 147 . 15 pp.
22. Cerný . M. . Agromyzidae (Diptera) in the vicinity of the Kerkini Lake with descriptions of eight new species from Greece . Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae . 2011 . 51 . 1 . 299–347.
23. Sasakawa . M. . The Neotropical Agromyzidae (Insecta: Diptera), Part 6. New or little-known species from El Salvador and Guatemala . Species Diversity . 2005 . 10 . 3 . 151–169. 10.12782/specdiv.10.151 .
24. Sasakawa . M. . Notes on the Japanese Agromyzidae (Diptera), 4. Two cambium borers of the genus Phytobia . Special Bulletin of the Essa Entomological Society . 1994 . 2 . 335–338.
25. Spencer . K.A. . The Australian Agromyzidae (Diptera, Insecta) . Records of the Australian Museum . 1963 . 25 . 15 . 305–354. 10.3853/j.0067-1975.25.1963.667 .
26. Malloch . J.R. . A partial key to species of the genus Agromyza (Diptera). Second Paper . The Canadian Entomologist . 1918 . 50 . 4 . 130–132. 10.4039/Ent50130-4 .
27. Spencer . K.A. . Agromyzidae (Diptera) from the Bismarck Archipelago, with an appendix on some related species from the Oriental Region . Entomologisk Meddelelser . 1966 . 34 . 489–520.
28. Hendel . F. . Beiträge zur Systematik der Agromyziden. [10. Beitrag zur Blattminenkunde Europas.] . Zoologischer Anzeiger . 1927 . 69 . 248–271.
29. Spencer . K.A. . Notes on the Neotropical Agromyzidae (Diptera). 1 . Papeis Avulsos . 1966 . 19 . 1-25 (1966) . 141–150. 10.11606/0031-1049.1966.19p141-150 . free .
30. Sasakawa . M. . New Agromyzidae from Japan, X. Species of the genus Phytomyza . Scientific Reports of the Saikyo University, Agriculture . 1955 . 7 . 62–72.
31. Sasakawa . M. . Tho . Y.P. . Agromyzidae of Malaysia (Part 1) . Kontyû . 1988 . 56 . 4 . 853–866.
32. Hendel . F. . Die palaarktischen Agromyziden (Dipt.). (Prodromus einer Monographie) . Archiv für Naturgeschichte (A) . 1920 . (1918) 84 . 7 . 109-174, 1 pl.
33. Spencer . K.A. . Notes on the Oriental Agromyzidae (Diptera).-1 . Pacific Insects . 1962 . 4 . 661–680.
34. Hendel . F. . Acht neue europäische Agromyziden (Dipt.) . Konowia . 1924 . 3 . 140–148.
35. Spencer . K.A. . Stegmaier . C.E. . Agromyzidae of Florida with a supplement on species from the Caribbean . Arthropods Florida . 1973 . 7 . iv + 205 pp.
36. Sasakawa . M. . The Neotropical Agromyzidae (Diptera). Part 4. New or little-known species from Peru, Venezuela, Brazil and Bolivia . Reports of the Kyoto Prefectural University, Agriculture . 1992 . 44 . 1–33.
37. Spencer . K.A. . Agromyzidae in New Guinea . Pacific Insects . 1977 . 17 . 339–369.
38. Brischke . C.G.A. . Die Blattminierer in Danzig's Umgebung . Schr. Naturf. Ges. Danzig . New Series . 1881 . 5 . 233–290.
39. Malloch . J.R. . Formosan Agromyzidae . Annales Historica-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici . 1914 . 12 . 306–336.
40. Spencer . K.A. . Steyskal . G.C. . Manual of the Agromyzidae (Diptera) of the United States . Agriculture Handbook (United States. Department of Agriculture) . 1986 . 638 . vi + 478 pp . 10 March 2024.
41. Coquillett . D.W. . New acalyptrate Diptera from North America . Journal of the New York Entomological Society . 1902 . 10 . 177–191 . 22 March 2024.
42. Zlobin . V.V. . Review of the mining flies of the genus Phytobia Lioy (Diptera: Agromyzidae): Western Palaearctic species . Zootaxa . 2008 . 1725 . 61–66. 10.11646/zootaxa.1725.1.7 .
43. Spencer . K.A. . Family Agromyzidae. In: Evenhuis, N.L. (ed.), Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions . Bishop Museum Special Publication . 1989 . 86 . 538–547.
44. Loew . H. . Diptera Americae septentrionalis indigena. Centuria octava . Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift . 1869 . 13 . 1–52 . 15 July 2022.
45. Sasakawa . M. . Thailand Agromyzidae (Diptera) – 3 . The Science Reports of Kyoto Prefectural University Life and Environmental Sciences . 2013 . 65 . 9–37.
46. Malloch . J.R. . . A revision of the species in Agromyza Fallen, and Cerodontha Rondani (Diptera) . Annals of the Entomological Society of America . 1913 . 6 . 3 . 269–336 . 10.1093/aesa/6.3.269 . 11 March 2024.
47. Book: Schiner . I.R. . Diptera. vi In [Wullerstorf-Urbair, B. von (in charge)], Reise der osterreichischen Fregatte Novara. Zool. 2(1)B. . 1868 . K. Gerold's Sohn . Wien . 388pp., 4 pls.
48. Chen . X.L. . Wang . X.J. . A new species of the genus Nemorimyza Frey (Diptera, Agromyzidae) from China . Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica . 2008 . 33 . 77–79.