Food Plant: Trifolium spp. (Clover) - especially T.pratense (Red Clover); Ononis spp. (restharrow)

Egg: Underside of leaves

Mine: August-April;May-June;July-August

Notes: The initial mine is a twisting gallery in the lower epidermis. The frass is red-brown or blackish and in a central line. The larva then makes a full depth mine and forms a brown branched blotch above the midrib. The frass is ejected from the mine and the larva can change leaves. Pupation occurs within the mine - the pupal fold is shown. The dipterous mines of Agromyza nana may show some similarity but these lack the spinning over the midrib and are greenish-white.

Data: 29.v.2012, Waterbeach, Cambs, VC29

Image:© Ian Barton