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.

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. Dave

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.