A Biodiversity Information System for Cheshire, Halton, Warrington & Wirral

What a great time of year this is for leaf-mining, with tenanted leaf-mines almost everywhere you look!
There are just 2 mines still causing me difficulty........
Firstly, this vacated gallery mine on Beech at the Henbury Millenium Green is, I think, Stigmella hemargyrella because of the coiled frass (see photos) but the mine starts at the mid-rib (which would indicate Stigmella tityrella).
Secondly, this blotch mine on the underside of an Oak leaf at Astbury Mere contained a very distinctive larva which I can't identify (pictures attached).
Advice please.......
Tim

Hi Tim

Stigmella hemargyrella is correct with the coiled frass, The eggs can be laid anywhere on the leaf in this species.

Do you have a less magnified photo of your oak mine we could view ?

Regards
Steve

Hi Steve,
I can't find an unexpanded photo of the blotch mine on Oak but, in searching through the discarded Oak leaves from that visit I've found another similar blotch mine, this time tenanted by a pupa which looks very much like the larva from the other mine! The mine is some 6mm across, a thin epidermal layer with a slit at one edge, on the under-surface of the Oak Leaf (near the tip). Photos attached.......

Hi Tim

Sorry but I can't help you without seeing the unopened mine.

Regards
Steve