Sunday 30 November 2014

Early stages: Hypericum miners

These mines on Hypericum are still around in profusion at the moment: Eucalybites auroguttella and Ectoedemia septembrella


Eucalybites auroguttella
Eucalybites auroguttella leaf mine on Hypericum
Eucalybites auroguttella mine on Hypericum

Ectoedemia septembrella Ectoedemia septembrella mines on Hypericum Ectoedemia septembrella mine on Hypericum

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Early stages: Rowan leaf miners

Rowan is host to a number of Lepidopteran leaf miners, some of which are illustrated here.

Stigmella sorbi
Stigmella sorbi leaf mine

Stigmella nylandriella
Stigmella nylandriella leaf mine

Stigmella magdalenae Stigmella magdalenae leaf mine

Phyllonorycter sorbi Phyllonorycter sorbi leaf mine

Sunday 16 November 2014

Early stages: Ectoedemia quinquella

A walk in Ruberries Wood, near Frogham, East Kent (VC15), in the rain at the weekend paid dividends - over 40 species as miners and other early stages, including one brand new one for me: Ectoedemia quinquella mines on Oak.

Multiple mines
Ectoedemia quinquella tenanted mines on Oak

Close up of young larva in mine
Ectoedemia quinquella young mine on Oak

Close up of mature larva in mine Ectoedemia quinquella mature mine on Oak

Thursday 13 November 2014

Get 'em while they last:late Autumn miners galore

Despite the wind and the rain, there are still plenty of leaf mines around, but you'll need to act quickly as most of the leaves won't be around for much longer...

Phyllonorycter lautella on Oak, Faggs Wood, CanterburyPhyllonorycter lautella mines on Oak sapling

Phyllonorycter tristrigella on Elm, Fredville Park, NoningtonPhyllonorycter tristrigella mine on Elm

Phyllonorycter stettinensis on Alder Phyllonorycter stettinensis mine on Alder

Phyllonorycter rajella on Alder Phyllonorycter rajella mines on Alder

Phyllonorycter lantanella on Viburnum, Aylesham, East KentPhyllonorycter lantanella mines on Viburnum

Ectoedemia subbimaculella on Oak, Clowes Wood, CanterburyEctodemia subbimaculella tenanted mine on Oak

Ectoedemia occultella on Birch, Aylesham, East KentEctoedemia occultella leaf mine on Birch

Sunday 9 November 2014

Back on the blog

Well work has been too manic to allow any time to keep the blog going, but hopefully now back and able to catch up a bit. To kick start things, just a few early stage finds of late...
Coleophora albitarsella Coleophora albitarsella larval case
Coleophora gryphipennella Coleophora gryphipennella larval case

Coleophora alticolella/glaucicolella Coleophora alticolella/glaucicolella larval case on Rush
Coleophora argentula Coleophora argentula

Monday 28 April 2014

A case of the Yp's: Part II

In a follow on from the previous post,   http://kentmicromoths.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/a-case-of-yps-part-i.html  here are the other two Yponomeuta species that I have found in the larval stage already this year: two of the Spindle feeders - Y. cagnagella and Y. plumbella. These both seem quite numerous this year.

Y. plumbella - larval feeding signs: wilted shoots
Yponomeuta plumbella larval feeding signs


Y. cagnagella - larval web

Yponomeuta cagnagella larval web

Friday 25 April 2014

A case of the Yp's - Part I

Already this year I have been lucky enough to find the early stages of four members of the Yponomeutid family, the first two of which are included here: Yponomeuta rorrella and Y. padella

Very pleased in particular with rorrella as this is the first time I've found this in the larval stage. This web was on Salix at Fowlmead CP near Deal, East Kent.

Y. rorrella larval web and larvae
Yponomeuta rorrella larval web
Yponomeuta rorrella larvae
Also Y. padella - found several webs on Hawthorn and Blackthorn Yponomeuta padella larval web
Two of the Spindle feeders to follow...

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Evening sweep

A very productive early evening walk with the net yesterday, the highlights were...
Micropterix tunbergella
Micropterix tunbergella

Gracillaria syringella
Gracillaria syringella
Incurvaria masculella Incurvaria masculella Also lots of larval webs of Yponomeuta cagnagella and feeding signs of Y. plumbella and various larval spinnings on a range of plants.

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Miner miscella-ny

Whilst this was one miner I had been searching chalk downland for for a while, it ended up being a totally accidental discovery...Mompha miscella on Common Rock-Rose (Helianthemum nummularium)


Mompha miscella
I had noticed various larval spinnings on Rock Rose and had potted some up, I decided to add a few extra leaves as food supply and lo and behold one of these was tenanted by the larva of Mompha miscella.  This appears to be pretty scarce in Kent (or perhaps more accurately, scarcely recorded or looked for).

There are also plenty of Eriocrania mines on Birch now including:


Eriocrania semipurpurella

Eriocrania sangii larva

Friday 4 April 2014

The longest wait...

Having collected mines of various Ericorania species last May and boxing them up more in hope than expectation, the first two E. chrysolepidella emerged yesterday after a wait of over 10 months, longer than the human gestation period.


Eriocrania chrysolepidella

 This was one of the mines: Paracrania (Eriocrania) chrysolepidella mine on Hazel Paracrania (Eriocrania) chrysolepidella mine on Hazel

Tuesday 1 April 2014

Mint provides new currency for the garden

Potted up this Acleris literana flitting about the trap a couple of nights ago, a new one for the garden.


Acleris literana

I love the colour; there aren't too many mint green moths.

Thursday 13 March 2014

What's that cat?

The recent weather also means that the frequency of early stage finds is increasing, with plenty of larvae to be found, their location betrayed by the distorting effects of their spinnings in many cases.

I have tentative IDs for these, any suggestions welcome though, and hopefully will be able to rear them through to adulthood.

Anthophila fabriciana? On Stinging Nettle Unidentified larva on Stinging Nettle - Anthophila fabriciana?

Pandemis corylana? On Bramble Unidentified larva on Bramble - Pandemis corylana?

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Early stages: Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)

The Rosemary bushes in my garden are covered in dozens of easy to spot larval spinnings of Epiphyas postvittana: if this is anything to go by, it looks like this moth will be extremely abundant this year.
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) larval spinning


Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) larval feeding signs

Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) larva


Sunday 2 March 2014

The Ox-eyes have it

Lots of very active larvae of Bucculatrix nigricomella on the Oxeye Daisy plants in the garden this week: both of young, mining larvae and later free-living stages. This species took my 2014 total to over 50, achieved by the last day of February. Bucculatrix nigricomella Bucculatrix nigricomella Bucculatrix nigricomella

Sunday 23 February 2014

Early stages: Caryocolum tricolorella

Found several larval spinnings of this species today; it's worth having a close look at any Greater Stitchwort as the distortion caused by the larva is quite obvious. Caryocolum tricolorella Caryocolum tricolorella Dave