Leaf-mines

Perhaps a bit of a niche interest to many, but this is just a quick reminder that September and October are the traditional months for leaf-mining, when many of our smallest and most difficult micro-moth species are identifiable at their larval stage.  A thirty-minute look around the garden this afternoon produced a handful of mines each with a larva present (as well as a host of vacated ones).  The active mines included Parornix anglicella and Phyllonorycter corylifoliella both on hawthorn, Phyllonorycter cerasicolella on cherry, Phyllonorycter leucographella on apple, Phyllonorycter schreberella (mine containing pupa in cocoon) and Stigmella ulmivora both on elm, Phyllonorycter nicellii on hazel, Stigmella plagicolella on blackthorn and Phyllonorycter esperella on hornbeam.


Back-lit photo of Stigmella plagicolella mine on blackthorn
to show larva, Westcott 5th September

Mine of Phyllonorycter esperella on the upper surface of a
hornbeam leaf, Westcott 5th September

Back-lit photo of mine to show larva of Phyllonorycter esperella
feeding inside, Westcott 5th September

A hornbeam hedge was planted in our front garden about ten years ago and Stigmella microtheriella was found on it almost straight away, but the eight active mines of Phyllonorycter esperella discovered today are the first time that particular species has been recorded here (becoming garden moth species no. 1010).  It is the 63rd micro to be recorded as a leaf-mine in the garden.

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks