Leaf Mines on Beech

[melbellingham]

In spring of 2014 I planted a small beech hedge along a fence, and I have found Phyllonorycter maestingella mines on it this year and in two previous years.

While tidying the garden today I have found two vacated Stigmella mines on the same leaf. One appears to be a typical Stigmella tityrella mine, but the other does not. This starts near to the leaf edge and then progresses towards the midrib.

The typical mines usually start at the midrib, then progress outwards towards the leaf edge, but keep within the leaf ribs.

Another species that mines on Beech is Stigmella hemargyrella. The mine starts away from the midrib, towards the edge of the leaf.

The second mine on my leaf does start near to the leaf edge, then progresses towards the midrib but it does not look like a typical mine of either species.

I would be grateful of any comments, as either species would be NFG.

Stigmella mines on Beech - SJ381751

Mel.

[PaulHopkins]

Can I please piggyback onto Mel's post, with some mines I've found today on my Beech hedge?

The first, based on Mel's description and what I've found online, looks like Stigmella tityrella.

Stigmella species?

The second I think must be Phyllonorycter maestingella.

Phyllonorycter species?

Phyllonorycter species?

Is that a pupa? Or an egg? Or just a bit of muck?

Just making my first tentative forays into leaf mining so I'm very much prepared to be corrected!

Cheers
Paul

[melbellingham]

Hi Paul,

You are definitely correct with Stigmella tityrella, and the second is one of the phyllonorycters.

I remember being told by SteveHH. when out leafmining with him, that P. maestingella is a 'long' mine when fully formed and that P. messaniella is 'short' when fully formed. The difficulty comes when you find a short mine that is not fully formed. How much longer will it get?

Your second mine is fully formed, if the 'bit of muck' is the exuvia, which sometimes remains in place when emergence has occurred.

The mine as well as looking small also seems to have only one crease along the underside, is not contorted into a tube like mine so if it is a fully formed mine it could be Phyllonorycter messaniella.

Note that I say could be, but I suggest you wait for the experts to agree.

Mel.

[stevehind]

Hi Mel, Paul

Phyllonorycter messaniella deposits its frass in a U shape and this can be clearly seen in Paul's photo. See my photo at http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidop ... iella9.htm from earlier this year. The frass of Phyllonorycter maestingella is in a neat pile in the middle of the mine, as shown at http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidop ... gella3.htm .

If you carefully remove the old pupal case from the mine and view the spines on the cremaster under a microscope you can see the differences between the species, as shown at http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidop ... gella6.htm
http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidop ... iella6.htm

Paul's Stigmella tityrella is more typical, although Mel's produces the normal hairpin bends of that species and lacks the coiled frass of Stigmella hemargyrella.

Regards
Steve

[melbellingham]

Thanks again Steve,

One of the best things I like about this forum is that not only do we all get confirmations or corrections that lead to a positive ID, but that we are all continually learning about something we are interested in or even passionate about.

Mel.