Phyllonorycter coryli and other leaf-mines

[SteveH]

Phyllonorycter coryli and other leaf-mines:

Hi folks,

Saturday 22nd September 2012 was a rather special day, though mainly on the bird front (Honey Buzzard, Hobby etc;), but in the time I wasn't looking up at the sky I managed to do some leaf-mining.

My first 'success' was finding mines on Honeysuckle, but sadly both turned out to be of flies and not moths, c'est la vie. I did however manage to find the blister mines of Phyllonorycter coryli on Hazel, which was new to my local patch (see below) and a couple of other mines on Sycamore, which I am taking to be Phyllonorycter platanoidella (mine B below) and perhaps one of the Caloptilia (mine A).

I also retained but subsequently managed to misplace an oak leaf with an unfamiliar mine on it. Egg underside, very thin, contorted mine only c.1.5cms long terminating in a brown blotch of perhaps just under a centimetre in diameter. There looked to be some associated 'damage' to the leaf midrib on the underside. Early frass was disjointed and possibly green - certainly paler than the later frass which was continuous and seemingly black, all deposited centrally within the mine. Exit hole on upper side. Any comments welcomed.


Cheers,
Steve

[stevehind]

Hi Steve,

I think you'll find that Phyllonorycter platanoidella is restricted to Norway Maple Acer platanoides from which it is named. I reckon your mines on Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus will be Phyllonorycter geniculella, a species which I'm struggling to find this autumn.

Good luck with your mine on Oak; I used to find these difficult enough but now that Stigmella samiatella has arrived and added to the confusion I tend to lump them all under Stigmella atricapitella aggregate.

I was over in Barnsley on Saturday taking part in a BioBlitz and hadn’t intended doing any fieldwork on Sunday but as the forecast for the week was wet, I decided to take advantage of a dry day and ended up at Tabley Superior in a tetrad that hadn’t previously been visited for leaf mines. I often find bridges crossing major roads can be productive, as their embankments are often planted up with trees not otherwise found in the local area and this was true where Old Hall Lane crossed the M6. Grey Alder Alnus incana held mines of Phyllonorycter strigulatella, Small-leaved Lime Tilia cordata held Roeslerstammia erxlebella, which was new for SJ77 and on Field Maple Acer campestre both Phyllonorycter acerifoliella and a second county record of Ectoedemia louisella. I ended up with 57 species for the day but several were missing or very thin on the ground.

Regards,
Steve

[SteveH]

Thanks Steve,

Phyllonorycter geniculella is new for the tetrad SJ47L, and I think only the 6th record for my local patch. I'm not mining 100% of my time in the field as you know, but have to agree with what you say - I'm not seeing the numbers of mines I usually do ...... apart from Lyonetia clerkella!

Cheers,
Steve