My first couple of attempts at identifying leaf mines turned out not to be moths.
However, this one found on beech this morning looked as if it might be Stigmella tityrella?
As I am new to looking at leaf mines confirmation or correction would be welcome.
Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.
Hi Andy, Stigmella tityrella is correct. S.tityrella starts its mine from the mid-rib while S.hemargyrella starts its mine away from the mid-rib. The five mining species found on beech (Phyllonorycter maestingella, Phyllonorycter messaniella & Parornix fagivora being the other three) are all straightforward to separate at this stage and you should be able to find most of them on any beech tree.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'll have another look at the tree as it has plenty of low branches.
ReplyDelete