Friday 3 February 2017

Phyllonorycter viminiella?

The moth below emerged yesterday from some active mines collected at the end of October last year on leaves of Goat Willow Salix caprea in our garden.  Several Phyllonorycters use that foodplant so it is necessary to breed them through to confirm the species.  This example would appear to me to have the very indistinct markings of Phyllonorycter viminiella (formerly salictella).  The moth has been identified previously in the garden, both as an adult (dissected) and through sightings of leaf-mines on our weeping willow Salix babylonica and narrow-leaved sallow Salix cinerea.  So far as I'm aware it is not known from broad-leaved sallows so it will be interesting to get this one confirmed by dissection too.

Possible Phyllonorycter viminiella, Westcott 2nd February

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks   

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