Hi All
Dipping my toe into moth mines I came across these gallery mines on the silver birch in my garden .... using Ben Smart's Book I got as far as Stigmella sp. Is this at least close? I think one of the mines is still tenanted. I've put it in a pot (still in the leaf of course!). Do I just wait now until the adult emerges or is there something else I should do... or can it be ID'd from these pics only? Apologies for the list of queries!
Cheers
Nev
These will be the Apple Leaf Miner Lyonetia clerkella. The galleries tend to be longer than those of the Stigmella and the frass is broken linear. Have a look for the egg at the start of the mine, they are usually visible in Stigmella but not in Lyonetia clerkella as the egg is laid inside the leaf. The larva is much more segmented in Lyonetia clerkella and its six black legs help distinguish it from any of the Stigmella.
One of the first to learn when looking at leaf mines, as it feeds on a range of species, so needs to be eliminated, before a Stigmella can be considered.