Leaf Mines

With little going on in the moth traps, yesterday and today I've resorted to dashing out between showers to check some of the trees in our garden for leaf-mines.  Without much effort I've now added Phyllonorycter rajella (on alder), Bohemannia pulverosella, Callisto denticulella, Leucoptera malifoliella, Stigmella incognitella (all on apple), Stigmella plagicolella (on blackthorn), Phyllonorycter cerasicolella (on cherry), Parornix anglicella, Phyllonorycter corylifoliella, Stigmella crataegella, Stigmella hybnerella, Stigmella regiella (all on hawthorn), Stigmella microtheriella (on hornbeam) and Stigmella aceris (on Norway Maple) to this year's garden list.

Initial epidermal gallery of Callisto denticulella on apple

Vacated mine of Leucoptera malifoliella on apple

Two mines of Stigmella aceris on Norway Maple

Green larva of Stigmella aceris on Norway Maple

I've never seen the adult of Callisto denticulella despite having found larval feeding signs on our apple for more than ten years.  After mining an initial gallery in the upper epidermis the larva transfers to a leaf-edge fold and I now have a couple of those folds in captivity in the hope that something other than a parasitic wasp emerges.  I always prefer to find active mines if I can and this was the first time I've succeeded with Stigmella aceris despite the moth having used our Norway Maple since 2016. 

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks