In between the rain showers two days ago I took myself for a search along the roadside in Chorleywood, Bucks, looking for leaf-mines. The top photo shows the typical pattern of multiple blotch mines, in this case on Hornbeam, of Incurvaria pectinea. The mine becomes a hole as the caterpillar cuts it out to use as a home. It drops to the ground to continue its rather secret life there. The last photo shows a Coleophora solitariella case on Greater Stitchwort. It was part of a colony on clumps of the foodplant and the bright white excavations of the Stitchwort leaves advertise their presence pretty well. I'm quite pleased with this as its a 'new-for-me'.
Andy King.
Nice one, Andy! Two uncommon species in Bucks and looks like the fifth county record for I.pectinea (one of which comes from your near neighbour Mr Ellis) and third for C.solitariella.
ReplyDeleteI'm well impressed with your equipment for taking leaf-mine pictures - I normally sellotape the leaf to a window!