Leaf Mines on Oak

[melbellingham]

Rather quiet in the garden at present moth wise. The cold wet nights have even stopped me putting the trap out, with only two attempts since the 5/11/2019 when I recorded a single Figure of Eight.

Following that I blanked on the first night of the Winter GMS (08/11/2019 – min temp 1 deg. C), but I put my trap out for a few hours last night (12/11/2019) which produced Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, sitting on the trap when I put it away.

Clearing up fallen leaves this morning I found several different leaf mines on oak leaves. Most were vacated Stigmella sp. mines or vacated Ectoedemia subbimaculella mines, but I also found one tenanted mine which I tentatively ID’d as Ectoedemia heringi. ID based on date, mine shape, lack of slit in lower epidermis and larva head colour, which looks about right. However there are not many Cheshire records so I would appreciate confirmation, correction or comments please.

Ectoedemia heringi mine - SH381751 - 13/11/2019

Mel.

[stevehind]

Hi Mel

You can rule out Ectoedemia albifasciella as that has a pale brown head and the lack of a slit on the underside rules out Ectoedemia subbimaculella, which only leaves Ectoedemia heringi . The head colour also looks right for Ectoedemia heringi, having a slight reddish tinge and certainly not black enough for Ectoedemia subbimaculella..

The lack of records is due to having to find tenanted mines to check the larva, as the other two species can be identified from vacated mines, combined with the lateness of season in which it mines.

Nice find

Regards
Steve

[melbellingham]

Thanks Steve,

I was fairly sure I had the ID correct, but it's always nice to have it confirmed. It is also NFG.

Cheers,
Mel.

[stevehind]

The latest Leafmine Newsletter covers the oak Ectoedemia:
http://leafmines.co.uk/pdfs/newsletter%2036.doc.pdf
Regards
Steve