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Phytomyza ranunculi

species of fly

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionMar 13, 2026
Entity authorityQ14233262 ↗
Source-derived summary

Phytomyza ranunculi is a species of fly in the family Agromyzidae. It is found in the Palearctic.

Life cycle

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.

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 .

The larvae pupates into a greyish or brown puparium, with posterior spiracles each with about 18-20 bulbs. 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.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Phytomyza ranunculi” as species of fly. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Phytomyza, ranunculi and species.

Editorial reviewA practical orientation to terminology and classification, particularly when read beside dated observations, specimens or technical literature. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—2018—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Phytomyza, ranunculi and species providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Phytomyza ranunculi”, the useful work is to connect “species of fly” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q14233262. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2018.

Critical limits

Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

Best used for
  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Phytomyza ranunculi”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Phytomyza ranunculi primary sources, Phytomyza ranunculi archive and Phytomyza research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Phytomyza ranunculi”?
  2. Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
  3. Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Phytomyza ranunculi” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.