Liriomyza obliqua

Family

Subfamily

Genus

Species

Liriomyza obliqua Hendel, 1931

Mine

The initial short mine widens to form a visible upper surface blotch, later turning brownish. Pupariation external.

Host Plants

• Picris

Confusion Species

Liriomyza sonchi.

Recording Grade

5

National Status

Unknown.

Puparium

Brown, posterior spiracles conical, which are joined at the base, with an ellipse of 9 minute bulbs with the tenth being slightly elongate.

Adult

In the Natural History Museum in Vienna, two specimens are stored which were identified by F. Hendel before his description of L. obliqua (Hendel 1931-1936: 235), the first with the labels “St. Zagora, 1929, 9.17. / Bulgaria, leg. Szilády / Liriomyza obliqua H. F. Hendel det.” was identified by MVT as L. hampsteadensis Spencer and labelled accordingly. The other one is equipped with a round white label with a violet edge “♂ Lectotype” and the labels / Mt. Meszes Biró. 04.V. / 11.v.901 / Coll. Hendel / Liriomyza F. Hendel det obliqua Hend. / 2657 8.8.70 L. obliqua K.A.S.”, the latter carrying the genitalia preparation in euparal prepared by K.A. Spencer. The genitalia figure based on this specimen was published by Spencer (1972: 259). This preparation had to be dissolved from the medium and was re-embedded by MVT on 8.viii.1970. Hendel’s description applies well, except that the ocelli are not arranged in an exact equilateral triangle, the third antennal segment not bearing an extremely short (“äußerst kurz”) but a normal pubescence (shorter than the basal diameter of the arista). Thirdly, the hind cross-vein is peculiarly oblique only on the right wing. Therefore, the species name is misleading for non-teratological specimens. The following features are not mentioned by Hendel: a sensory pit on the 3rd antennal segment is not detectable, 1st antennal segments in contact, palpi normal and cylindrical, only 3+4 peristomal setae, width of cheeks equal to the diameter of the first two aristal segments, the deepest point of the jowl is in the hind part of the gena, depth of eye and depth of jowl (cheek plus gena below eye) as 28:12, 1+1 ors, 2+2 ori, 9+9 short recurved orbital setulae, length to width of frons as exactly 1:1, eye margins only slightly convergent anteriorly, ocellars extending until the level of the single ors, distances between 1st, 2nd and 3rd dorsocentals as 10:7:4, the 3rd small dorsocentral (dc) [counted from behind] positioned in the scutal suture, two or three rows of damaged acrostichals, before and behind the suture 4 ia-setulae, at least on the left side an inner postalar seta present at the border of a yellow postalar area, costa ends at wing tip, wing length 1.77mm, costal sections 2:3:4 as 57:24:16, basal : distal section of vein M₃₊₄ as 15:46, both veins R₂₊₃ and R₄₊₅ straight, M₁₊₂ only slightly weaker than R₄₊₅, eyes without pubescence, scutum moderately matt with slight sheen, right surstylus with one, left with two prominent pegs at the tip. Colour: head with antennae and palpi yellow, the hind upper eye margin yellow and only interrupted by some dark colour combined with the occiput, vti and vte setae on yellow ground, lateral scutellar seta on dark, apical scutellar on yellow ground, the dark centre of the humeral callus (postpronotum) is surrounded by yellow, notopleuron and upper 3/5 parts of anepisternum yellow.