Leaf mines for ID help - Hazel

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PaulHopkins
Posts: 456
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:11 pm
Location: Bromborough, Wirral. MapMate Recorder

Leaf mines for ID help - Hazel

Post by PaulHopkins »

A couple more mines from my foray into Dibbinsdale LNR on Thursday. The challenge with this was to identify the tree - it took me longer than I care to admit to work out it was Hazel, not Alder or Hornbeam.

The first two I think are Stigmella microtheriella. My logic for going for this rather that S. floslactella is that the mine and frass line look thinner - is this correct?
Stigmella microtheriella 1
Stigmella microtheriella 1
Stigmella microtheriella 2
Stigmella microtheriella 2
I think the next one is Parornix devoniella, based on the fact that the leaf is folded upwards. There's also a blotch mine on this leaf that I can't identify.
Parornix devoniella leaf fold
Parornix devoniella leaf fold
Finally a different blotch mine, which I think is another Parornix devoniella, at an earlier stage.
Parornix devoniella blotch
Parornix devoniella blotch
Only 3 more trees to go! (Beech, Hawthorn and Oak).

Cheers
Paul
stevehind
Posts: 2908
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:44 am
Location: Higher Poynton, Cheshire

Re: Leaf mines for ID help - Hazel

Post by stevehind »

Hi Paul
I still find the Stigmella mines on Hazel difficult to resolve, especially these from the summer generation. The autumn generation tend to be easier, with Stigmella microtheriella showing a thin black frass line at the start of the mine, with clear margins, compared to the brown frass line of Stigmella floslactella, which fills the early mine, without any clear margins. I looked at several yesterday similar to yours and was unable to decide.
Parornix devoniella is correct
Regards
Steve
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