Mikiola fagi Found In Cheshire

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SteveMcBill
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Mikiola fagi Found In Cheshire

Post by SteveMcBill »

Mikiola fagi Found In Cheshire:

Yesterday (01/09/2018) on a Bryophyte Workshop day at Quarry Bank Mill, Styal Park, Cheshire with John Lowell of the North Western Naturalists Union, we had a walk down by the River Bollin and Eric Fletcher (manager of rECOrd, the Cheshire LERC) found and brought to my attention a gall on a Beech leaf. I had recorded Hartigiola annulipes a few moments before and expected it to be the same. However, when I saw it it was obvious what it was and I was quite excited - Mikiola fagi !!! There were several galls on the one small tree on the river bank.

In 2011 the FSC "British Plant Galls" book/key (2nd Edition) noted "Not found in Britain for many years and possibly extinct here.". Since then it has been found on a few occasions (6 records on the NBN Atlas) but this would appear to be the first record for Cheshire. Worth getting out and checking Beech trees as the galls seemed pretty fresh.

Steve

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Mikiola fagi gall on Beech leaf - by River Bollin at Quarry Bank Mill, Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire
Mikiola fagi gall on Beech leaf - by River Bollin at Quarry Bank Mill, Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire
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