Another miner for the year list

While ever there are leaves on the trees it is worth the effort having a quick look for leaf mining activity. The are still plenty of leaves on the Goat Willow around here and as a result a good scattering of tenanted mines of Ectoedemia intimella on pretty much all of the trees I search.

More from the case files...

There are still larval cases of some of the Coleophorids to be found, here are a few of my relatively recent finds:
Coleophora albitarsella on Ground Ivy Coleophora solitariella on Stitchwort Coleophora limosipennella on Elm

A new miner: Stigmella catharticella

Despite searching for the foodplant of this species for a while now I had no luck until this weekend, when I found one example of Buckthorn in a hedge very close to home (although not in an easily accessible area). Very pleased to add this to the list in what has been a very productive year for leaf miners. Dave

'Tis the season...for miners

Now is as good a time as any to get out there searching for leaf miner activity as they are pretty much everywhere in abundance right now.

He's a few more finds from this weekend:

Phyllonorycter stettinensis on Alder


Leucoptera laburnella on Laburnum


Bucculatrix ulmella on Oak
Stigmella lemniscella on Elm

Rearing success with a tiny one

Been finding plenty of Phyllocnistis species mines this Autumn, including P. unipunctella on Poplar. Several of which emerged recently and one even sat still long enough to pose for the camera too.

Persistence rewarded

Well after hours and hours of searching for this case-bearer over several years in the end it was the most casual of glances this morning that finally yielded a new one for me in the shape of Coleophora artemisicolella. Well chuffed to say the least... Dave

Leaf miner glut continues

Another day with fantastic returns from a miner foray: over 45 species this time and many different ones to the 40 plus day earlier in the week due to different habitat.

 Highlights include:

 Phyllocnistis xenia on Populus

Phyllocnistis saligna on Salix
Stigmella viscerella on Elm