Missed it again!

I've been searching the alder in our garden regularly every couple of weeks for leaf-mines because last year I found a vacated Nepticulid mine on it which unfortunately couldn't be identified (mines of Stigmella alnetella and Stigmella glutinosae can't be separated without a larva being present).  Today's search produced just the one mine, unfortunately vacated once again.  Next year, maybe...  

Stigmella mine on alder, Westcott 11th Oct

Still, it wasn't all bad news because I managed to add three more species to this year's garden list by finding a couple of active mines of Stigmella obliquella on willow, one just starting out and one almost finished, and several early blister mines of Phyllonorycter coryli on hazel (they seem to be late starting here this autumn).  Best of all, though, was an active mine of Stigmella perpygmaeella on hawthorn which is completely new for the garden.

Mine of Stigmella obliquella, Westcott 11th Oct

Mine of Stigmella obliquella, Westcott 11th Oct

Mine of Phyllonorycter coryli, Westcott 11th Oct

Mine of Stigmella perpygmaeella, Westcott 11th Oct

Stigmella perpygmaeella is the only hawthorn-feeding Stigmella species to lay its egg on the upper surface of the leaf.  The early gallery is surprisingly wide for the start of a mine and is filled with brownish frass.  It is the 26th member of the Nepticulidae to be identified as a mine in the garden, while a further eight have been found as adults (all dissected) but not yet as mines, so there's still work to be done here!    

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks