I'd welcome confirmation or correction of my id's of these 2 leaf-miners on Alder in the Dane Valley yesterday. I'm using the leaf-miner key but interpreting it can be tricky at times.......
Firstly, there is a vacated gallery mine (4 photos)which I think might be Stigmella glutinosae.
Secondly there is a blotch mine, around 20mm in length, tenanted by a whitish pupa, which I think might be Phyllonorycter rajella (3 photos).
Thanks for your help, Tim
Leaf Mines on Alder
Re: Leaf Mines on Alder
Hi Tim
With your gallery mine, check which side of the leaf the larva has exited, if upperside then you have Bucculatrix cidarella, if underside then you can only record it as the aggregate Stigmella alnetella/glutinosae, as you need to check the larva with these two.
Your blotch mine will be Phyllonorycter rajella with the obvious creases on the underside.
Regards
Steve
With your gallery mine, check which side of the leaf the larva has exited, if upperside then you have Bucculatrix cidarella, if underside then you can only record it as the aggregate Stigmella alnetella/glutinosae, as you need to check the larva with these two.
Your blotch mine will be Phyllonorycter rajella with the obvious creases on the underside.
Regards
Steve
Re: Leaf Mines on Alder
Thanks Steve. Despite carefully examining the gallery mine, I was unable to determine how the larva managed to exit!
Tim
Tim