Goring etc

Went to Goring on Thames and Hartslock on the 26th to fail to find Epermenia insecurella (on Bastard Toadflax) again. With rather windy conditions, I mostly ended up looking for leaf-mines, and recorded a number of fairly common species between Goring and Hartslock, best of which were Leucoptera laburnella, Stigmella obliquella and catharticella, Phyllocnistis saligna and what Andy Banthorpe has agreed are Lyonetia prunifoliella. I found 10 mines of the latter on one Blackthorn bush (a few of which look to only have been briefly occupied) along the towpath, and none on any others despite careful searching. They're relatively blotchy and distinctive from a distance, and one I've been looking out for since Martin A kindly reminded me it's been on the march in our direction (since its rediscovery down south a few years ago). Being on the north side of the river, I think this is just in VC23?

Lyonetia prunifoliella mine

Lyonetia prunifoliella mines

Only other excitement on that walk was a Sorhagenia sp. around the same Buckthorn that Stimgella catharticella mines, that will need dissection. 

Yesterday, back in Oxford, I noticed a mine on willow near the Thames at Aston's Eyot that Rob Edmunds agrees is Phyllonorycter pastorella. This species was first discovered in the UK in 2014 (at Buckingham Palace gardens) and has also been expanding since. I've been looking out for it for a while, but wasn't expecting to chance upon it, particularly so early in the year. Mines have only been found from September so far, but Rob says a summer generation has been mooted, this would seemingly be it.

Phyllonorycter pastorella mine