Fat-hen leaf-miner - Chrysoesthia sexguttella (Gelechidae)

A leafmine to look for at the moment is Chrysoesthia sexguttella (Gelechidae).  This is a rarely recorded species, I was astonished to find that it was a county first (for VC24) when I found it in 2013.  I suspect that it is simply very under-recorded

It mines the leaves of Goosefoots Atriplex sp. and Oraches Chenopodium sp.  

I found it again last week on my allotment in the leaves of Fat-hen Chenopodium album.  

Note that the Beds moth site says that a tenanted mine is required for acceptance (in Beds), because of possible confusion with fly mines.  Because my mine was vacated, but did not look like a fly mine, I checked with Andy Banthorpe and he confirmed this was C. sexguttella.

Fat-hen can be a common plant, particularly on waste ground and manure heaps, worth checking it if you find any.   Look out also for mines of Chrysoesthia drurella which also mines Fat-hen.

Neil Fletcher
Walter's Ash (VC24)