Mount Pleasant:
My intention last Saturday (02/09/2017) was to visit Mow Cop but, after missing the turn, I ended up in Mount Pleasant. As this area had not previously been worked I parked up and went for a stroll. I soon found a rocky outcrop with patches of Heather and Bbilberry right on the Staffordshire border.
I searched the Bilberry for Stigmella myrtillella mines without success; although maybe another try later in the month when the second brood is feeding might be more successful. A few Antler Moths were flying amongst the Heather and I found a couple of Broom Moth larvae, as well as Dark Dagger larva on Rowan.
Vapourer Moths were on the wing and I flushed a Green Carpet off Oak. 28 species of leaf mine were found in the area including a couple of Stigmella roborella mines.
I left the outcrop and moved onto the next monod, where I also found 28 species of leaf mine. These included a single tenanted Stigmella glutinosae on Alder
and plenty of tenanted Chrysoesthia sexguttella mines on the roadside Spear-leaved Orache, the latter new to SJ85.
Also new to SJ85 was Coleophora peribenanderi, cases of which were found on Creeping Thistles along a farm track.
Regards,
Steve
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