Leafminer puparium on/in Purslane - Pegomya rufescens

Question

Was the puparium already formed when you collected it, or did you collect a larva that then pupariated? I don't think I've ever seen an anthomyiid pupate in its mine like this.
[Edit: I now see you had told me previously that this was collected in mid-October, so I presume you collected it as a larva.]

… Charley Eiseman, 22 November, 2016 - 7:05pm

I just uploaded a view of the

I just uploaded a view of the puparium from the other side of the leaf. On this side, I think I can kind of see where the puparium may have been attached to the inside of the ziploc bag (until I removed both the leaf and puparium from the bag).

… John Schneider, 22 November, 2016 - 9:45pm

Okay

Thanks for revisiting that.

… Charley Eiseman, 22 November, 2016 - 10:26pm

I remember collecting it as a

I remember collecting it as a larva, if I'm not mistaken.

As far as the location of the puparium, the larva's movement may just have been somewhat restricted by the ziploc bag that I was keeping the leaf in.

… John Schneider, 22 November, 2016 - 9:38pm

Moved

Moved from Pegomya.

When I mentioned this to Michael Ackland, he said "I don't think there is any significance in the 'arms' of sternite 5 being turned inwards. Only an examination of the rest of the genitalia will solve this." He is 88 now and no longer accepting specimens, so I sent it to Bradley Sinclair at the CNC, and he has confirmed that it is P. rufescens.
So not a new host record, but a new state record.

… Charley Eiseman, 16 December, 2015 - 10:26am

Glad to know what it is!

Thanks, Charley, and to Drs. Ackland, Sinclair and Carr.

… John Schneider, 16 December, 2015 - 5:46pm

Moved

Moved from Flies.

… John F. Carr, 17 November, 2015 - 8:51pm

Should be this one:

Texas would be a new state record, but it's known from Florida and Mexico (as well as farther north).

… Charley Eiseman, 17 November, 2015 - 8:34pm

5th sternite looks different

Similar, but according to the figure in Griffiths' revision, the arms of the fifth sternite of Pegomya rufescens are not distally convergent as in the ventral shot.

… John F. Carr, 17 November, 2015 - 8:50pm

Probably Pegomya

Probably Pegomya. A shot of the 5th sternite could help ID.

… John F. Carr, 13 November, 2015 - 4:51am

Thanks

Added an image that I think shows the 5th sternite. If not, please let me know.

… John Schneider, 13 November, 2015 - 3:16pm

Specimen?

I'm going to send a small batch of anthomyiids to Michael Ackland in England in the near future. If you still have the specimen and want to send it to me, I'd be happy to pass it along for an ID. If this isn't P. rufescens, then it's a new host record for whatever it is.

… Charley Eiseman, 17 November, 2015 - 8:54pm

Thanks, Charley

I had thrown it out, but was able to retrieve it. Is sending it in alcohol best?

… John Schneider, 17 November, 2015 - 10:02pm

Moved

Moved from Purslane sawfly after the adult emerged!

… John Schneider, 12 November, 2015 - 9:53am