Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Mines..... Help needed!

It's about this time of year that my attention turns to leaf mines. The majority of species mine leaves between September and October. Generally I compile a list of around 20 species, but even though the garden has changed very little as far as hosts are concerned, the species list varies quite considerable and has never been the same from one year to another. Once again I have added new species to the garden list. The top two images are the newbies and below those are are few that I'm not sure about.........

112 Stigmella luteella  Lyonetia clerkella
 Totally caught out by this. I can't remember seeing the larvae so clearly. The 'Michelin Man' heavily segmented look of the larvae is diagnostic.

260 Leucoptera malifoliella
 NFG- This was found on Conference Pear. Again only one mine found.

Mine on Birch?
 Not sure on this one, very small. Could just be an aborted L. clerkella mine.

99 Stigmella hybnerella
On Hawthorn- very common

Mine on Hawthorn?

Stigmella Sp. on Bramble
To me this looks like Stigmella splendidissimella but after doing a little research it seems that it could be a sub species of S. aurella (f. gei). My question is; can you tell the difference without breeding through?

Full list below- Sept/Oct

0050  Stigmella aurella   Bramble, NFY
0075  Stigmella floslactella   Hornbeam, NFY
0099  Stigmella hybnerella   Hawthorn, NFY
0111  Stigmella microtheriella  Hazel, NFY
0254  Laburnum Leaf Miner (Leucoptera laburnella)  Laburnham, NFY
0260  Pear Leaf Blister Moth (Leucoptera malifoliella)  Pear, NFG
0263  Apple Leaf Miner (Lyonetia clerkella)
0272  Bucculatrix cidarella  Alder, NFY
0275  Bucculatrix bechsteinella  Hawthorn, NFY
0293  Caloptilia syringella  Lilac/Forsythia, NFY
0303  Parornix anglicella
0304  Parornix devoniella  Hazel, NFY
0323  Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae  Hawthorn, NFY
0332  Phyllonorycter corylifoliella  Hawthorn, NFY
0345  Phyllonorycter rajella  Alder, NFY
0353  Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella  Birch, NFY
0358  Phyllonorycter froelichiella  Alder, NFY
0360  Phyllonorycter kleemannella  Alder, NFY

Monday, September 21, 2015

A decent haul...............

..........for variety/numbers anyway, though not particularly good for any hoped for migrants with just a single Dark Sword-grass. For the time of year, 43 species is not to be sniffed at. Even if you do have to sift through Large Yellow Underwings and Setaceous Hebrew Characters to find the good stuff!
The Humming-bird Hawk-moth was seen in the back garden nectaring on Buddleja weyeriana, a yellow variety. The 2nd record this year.

Upper Caldecote Garden- 2 traps- 20/09/2015- 311 of 43 species-

0015  Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina)  1
0674  Depressaria badiella  1 NFY
0998  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  5
1048  Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana)  1
1293  Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)  1
1309  Agriphila geniculea  1
1342  Eudonia angustea  3
1413  Gold Triangle (Hypsopygia costalis)  1
1728  Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)  1
1745  Mallow (Larentia clavaria)  1 NFY
1764  Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)  2
1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  1
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  3
1914  Dusky Thorn (Ennomos fuscantaria)  2
1937  Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)  1
1961  Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)  2
1984  Humming-bird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)  1
2087  Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum)  1
2091  Dark Sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon)  1
2092  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  3
2107  Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)  89
2109  Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes)  11
2110  Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata)  1
2123  Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi)  1
2126  Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum)  69
2134  Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)  19
2199  Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)  17
2231  Deep-brown Dart (Aporophyla lutulenta)  4
2232  Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra)  5
2266  Brown-spot Pinion (Agrochola litura)  2 NFY
2267  Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis)  1
2269  Centre-barred Sallow (Atethmia centrago)  1
2270  Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa)  25
2274  Sallow (Xanthia icteritia)  1 NFY
2293  Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica)  1
2299  Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis)  3
2306  Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)  1
2364  Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago)  1
2384  Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)  27
2389  Pale Mottled Willow (Paradrina clavipalpis)  4
2434  Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)  2
2477  Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)  1

Mallow

Brown-spot Pinions

Sallow

Depressaria badiella