Prompted by your latest post I've just looked at our Hawthorn and found this. The mines aren't tenanted, is it OK to do as such?
I should say that the mines are only on the upperside of the leaf, there's nothing to be seen on the underside except a small mark where, I think, the egg was laid.
Thanks,
Nigel
Hi Nigel,
ReplyDeleteI think those are good for crataegella (the frass pattern is correct and it certainly looks to be reddish-brown in at least the left hand mine until the final moult when it becomes black). Always best to find an occupied mine if you can, though, and the green larvae are very distinctive! I bet there'll be one somewhere on your tree...! Worth recording as a vacated mine nonetheless.
By the way, the egg shell should still be present (underside of leaf at the start of the mine) and should be visible with a hand lens. I always think Nepticulid eggs are remarkably large for such tiny moths!
Thanks Dave. I'll have another look at our bushes for an occupied one.
ReplyDeleteI've had a thorough search of our bushes/tree and must have found well over twenty but all were vacated.
ReplyDelete