Early stages: Paracrania (Eriocrania) chrysolepidella

I wasn't specifically mine hunting this evening as I was actually looking for other larvae but, as ever, you never know what you're going to find, hence the images below of the mines and larva of Paracrania chrysolepidella; one of the moths where we have to get used to a different Generic name as in the UK it was formerly one of the group of Eriocrania.




This one always takes a bit of searching for, even though I happen to have plenty of both Hornbeam and Hazel close by: this is actually the first time I have had this one on Hazel, it has always been Hornbeam before for me.

Unlike several other miners, even when you do find this one, it always tends to be in ones and twos and is very locally distributed. That said, the mines are quite obvious when present and ID is straightforward.