October Novembers

Last night I took a couple of traps for a final session at a small wood not far from Tingewick, Bucks which I've been visiting regularly this year.  Between them they caught 18 species in just over three hours, including a probable Dioryctria abietella which will need dissection to be sure and a couple of Epirrita species which, on close inspection, turned out to be one each of November Moth and Pale November Moth.  While they cannot be identified by wing pattern, male "Novemnals" can be sorted to species quite easily with a 10x hand lens if the scales are brushed away from the tip of the abdomen (for a good comparison image of what to look for, go to http://www.dissectiongroup.co.uk/page823.html).  However, this does involve handling the moth and it may not survive the experience.

Probable Dioryctria abietella, Round Wood 10th October

Pale November Moth, Round Wood 10th October

Further leaf-mining here at Westcott, Bucks today produced a very welcome newcomer to the garden list.  A single example of Ectoedemia intimella was found on a fallen leaf beneath our rather large willow Salix babylonica.  The egg is laid on the mid-rib (positioned at far left in the picture below) and the larva mines along the rib for about a centimetre before breaking out to form a blotch.

Dave Wilton

Active mine of Ectoedemia intimella, Westcott 11th October