Upper Thames Moths: Leaf-mines

I can't compete with Will Langdon's fantastic finds (see his post below from two days ago), but for those who are interested in the subject it is worth mentioning that we are now at peak "leaf-mining season". A lot of common and widespread micro-moth species which it is difficult to record any other way are actively mining leaves at the moment, many of them in a race to feed up and pupate before the leaves fall. Needless to say it is vitally important that you can correctly identify the host plant but I suspect most of you will at least be able to recognise our common native trees and that's where it is best to start. For corridor miners (mostly the Nepticulids) the position of the egg, the shape of the mine, the colour of the larva and the pattern of its frass are all important indicators, which is why it is worth persevering to find active mines with the larva still present so that you have the maximum number of clues. For blister miners (Phyllonorycters, etc) the size, shape and position of the mine as well as the number of creases in it - if any - are important factors. It is also worth remembering that some other insect groups (coleoptera, diptera and hymenoptera) have a few species which mine leaves too but all is explained on the web-site "British Leafminers" which will be invaluable to you. It is third in our list of links on the right hand side-bar of this page.

During a very brief look around the garden yesterday afternoon I found active mines of Stigmella hybnerella (on Hawthorn), Stigmella luteella (on Birch), Stigmella obliquella (on Willow), Stigmella oxyacanthella (many on both Apple and Hawthorn), Stigmella plagicolella (on Blackthorn), Phyllonorycter cerasicolella (on Cherry), Phyllonorycter coryli (on Hazel), Phyllonorycter corylifoliella (on Hawthorn), Phyllonorycter joannisi (on Norway Maple), Phyllonorycter leucographella (on Pyracantha), Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae (on Hawthorn), Phyllonorycter rajella (on Alder), Phyllonorycter schreberella (on Elm), Phyllonorycter tristrigella (on Elm), Parornix anglicella (on Hawthorn), Parornix devoniella (on Hazel) & Parornix scoticella (on Apple), as well as vacated mines of quite a few other species of which the most abundant were Stigmella microtheriella (on Hazel and Hornbeam) and, of course, Lyonetia clerkella (on just about everything!).