Early stages: Carcina quercana

Here is a fairly widespread moth, Carcina quercana, with an almost ubiquitous foodplant, bramble.

These are relatively easy to spot right now; the patches of 'windowing' caused by the larvae feeding beneath the leaf can be quite obvious.  On turning the leaves over, the larval spinnings will betray the hiding place of the green larvae.






Definitely one worth keeping an eye out for during the lean times.

Although I'd say this generally about early stage searches and my year list clearly illustrates this as it now stands at 34 species but adult moths total just five species.

Some other micro finds to date this year include:

Metzneria aestivella - larvae in Carline Thistle seed heads
M. lappella - larva in Burdock seed heads
Epinotia immundana - larvae on birch catkins
Ectoedemia heringella mines
Cedestis subfasciella mines
Cochylis roseana - larvae in teasel heads
Endothenia marginana - as above
E. gentianaeana - as above
Limnaecia phragmitella - numerous larvae in Typha seed heads
and cases of Coleophora gryphipennella, C. glaucicolella, C. argentula and C. solitariella.

Micro highlights of 2012

Whilst 2012 didn't set the world on fire with regards to mothing, I still had plenty of highlights, some of which are illustrated in the collage below:



All the above from Kent, except the P. oleae, however I did find mines of this species at a garden centre in Canterbury this year, so technically...

Large images, clockwise from top left:
Prays oleae - reared from larvae mining leaves of olive at Wentworth Garden centre, Sth. Yorks,
Ethmia terminella - back garden, East Kent,
Sciota adelphella - back garden, East Kent,
Esperia oliviella - Covert Wood, Kent

Medium images, top: Nemapogon ruricolella - ancient hedgerow, East Kent;
bottom: Elachista subocellea - old orchard windbreak, East Kent

Small images, clockwise from top left: Micropterix tunbergella, Grapholita internana - back garden, East Kent
Metzneria aestivella - reared from larvae, Fowlmead CP, Deal, Kent,
Eucosma aspidiscana - daytime observation, Denge Woods, East Kent

Dave

A rare one emerges

In a follow up to the earlier post: http://kentmicromoths.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/early-stages-metzneria-aestivella.html an adult has now emerged.

Metzneria aestivella, reared ex pupa, Fowlmead Country Park, Kent. Emerged 14.vi.2012.

However, it is not actually one of the first 'batch', it is from a pupa found just this Sunday (10th June) at a different location, Fowlmead Country Park near Deal, East Kent.  The adult emerged 14th June.

Once again, the Carline Thistle seedhead gave away the presence of this moth as there was a slightly raised tuft of seeds above where this pupa was found.

Early Stages: Metzneria aestivella

The larvae of this moth feed inside the seed head of Carline Thistle.  I was lucky enough to locate these at a coastal site in Kent at the weekend and will hopefully rear them through.








I noticed that all of the affected seed heads would show a small, darkened clump of seeds that betrayed the feeding larva below.  Gently teasing the seed head apart revealed the larva feeding on the seeds at the base of the seed head.

If you do go looking for these, wear gloves.

Dave