Checklist of the leaf-mining flies (Diptera, Agromyzidae) of Finland

Abstract A checklist of the Agromyzidae (Diptera) recorded from Finland is presented. 279 (or 280) species are currently known from the country. Phytomyza linguae Lundqvist, 1947 is recorded as new to Finland.


Introduction
The Agromyzidae are called the leaf-miner or leaf-mining flies and not without reason, although a substantial fraction of the species feed as larvae on other parts of living plants. While Agromyzidae is traditionally placed in the superfamily Opomyzoidea, its exact relationships with other acalyptrate Diptera are poorly understood (see for example Winkler et al. 2010).
Two subfamilies are recognised within the leaf-mining flies: Agromyzinae and Phytomyzinae. Both are now recognised as natural groups (Dempewolf 2005, Scheffer et al. 2007. Unfortunately the genera are not as well defined: at least Ophiomyia, Phytoliriomyza and Aulagromyza are paraphyletic in DNA sequence analyses (see Scheffer et al. 2007). The same studies and Winkler et al. (2009) suggest that Chromatomyia consists of at least two separate groups of species within Phytomyza, and Napomyza (which is given a status of a subgenus of Phytomyza by Winkler et al. (2009)) also needs re-evaluation. For the purposes of this checklist, a conservative approach is adopted with Chromatomyia and Napomyza as separate genera.
The species have since been found at several sites on the south coast (leg. L. Tiensuu, K. Winqvist & J. Kahanpää).

Cerodontha pygmella.
First described from the Russian Far East, then redescribed from northern Sweden as C. lapplandica (Rydén) (synonymized by Zlobin 2001) and from Poland as C. tatrica Nowakowski (syn. Spencer 1976). The status of this species as distinct from C. pygmaea has been doubtful, but Zlobin (2001) pointed out that while C. pygmella and C. pygmaea are difficult to identify reliably as adults, the larvae are clearly different. Liriomyza pedestris Hendel, 1931 is a valid species according to Zlobin (2003). The Finnish material of the L. flaveola-group needs re-examination. Ophiomyia fennoniensis Spencer is probably a synonym of O. eucodonus Hering.
Likewise, Ophiomyia vitiosa Spencer is probably a synonym of O. alliariae Hering, 1954 (M. von Tschirnhaus, pers. comm.) Phytomyza angelicae and P. aegopodii. Spencer (1976) synonymized P. aegopodii Hendel, 1923 with P. angelicae Kaltenbach. Pakalniškis (2000) reinstated P. aegopodii as a valid species but opinions on its status are not unanimous. The Finnish material examined so far represents typical P. angelicae sensu Pakalniškis (2000). Phytomyza brischkei. Recorded by Hackman (1980) from Finland, probably on the basis of Frey (1937). As Spencer (1976) points out, this is a misidentification. Phytomyza gymnostoma. Recorded from Finland in Fauna Europaea (Martinez 2011), but I have been unable to trace the original records. Possibly imported to Finland with leeks or onions (Allium), its host plants. P. gymnostoma is an expanding species with Central Europe and has lately damaged crops of Allium species (Darvas et al. 1988). Phytomyza linguae. Spencer (1976) synonymised this species with P. ranunculivora Hering. Pakalniškis (1997) reinstated it as a valid species. Both species occur in Finland: L. Tiensuu reared P. ranunculivora from Ranunculus acer and P. linguae from Ranunculus lingua from mines collected from Vehkalahti in 1972-3.