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Tag Archives: British leafminers

Leafmines: Eriocrania unimaculella

22 Monday May 2023

Posted by sconzani in insects, trees

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British leafminers, British moths, Eriocrania unimaculella, leaf-mining moths, leafmine, leafmine on Birch, moth leafmines

The moth formerly known as Heringocrania unimaculella, now known as Eriocrania unimaculella – either way a tongue twister! – spends its larval stage developing within the leaves of Birch trees. And it poohs … a lot … pooh that Rob Edmunds, expert from the British Leafminers website, describes as ‘long strands of spaghetti’. There are several Eriocrania species that can be difficult to identify but Rob produced an excellent well-illustrated guide explaining how to separate them in his March 2018 newsletter (click to access). The adult moth is a tiny golden critter, which you can see on the UK Moths website.

230522 eriocrania unimaculella on birch

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Leafmines: Coleophora serratella

15 Monday May 2023

Posted by sconzani in insects, trees

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British leafminers, British moths, case-bearing moth larva, Coleophora serratella, Common case-bearer, leafminers on Birch, moth larvae

I’ve been checking Birch trees since their green leaves first started to unfold, prompted by a post I’d seen by Rob Edmunds (@leafminerman on Twitter) of the British Leafminers website to check for the small holes created by the feeding of the tiny Common case-bearer moth, Coleophora serratella. Finally, last Tuesday, I found some on a tree in Cardiff’s Grangemoor Park.

And, luckily, the little case-bearing larva was still in situ, initially checking out some silky seedhead fibres that had lodged on the end of its leaf, then retreating to the patch that marked where it had been feeding and resumed munching. You can read more about this beauty on the British Leafminers website and see the adult moth on the UK Moths website.

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Leafmines: Phyllonorycter ulicicolella

13 Monday Feb 2023

Posted by sconzani in insects, plants

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British leafminers, leafmines, leafmines on Gorse, leafmining moth larvae, moth larva, Phyllonorycter ulicicolella

I have a new leafminer to share at last, the moth Phyllonorycter ulicicolella, which mines the stems and spines of Gorse plants. The British Leafminers website notes that this mine is rarely found, and I can certainly believe that. I’d had a look before at a few Gorse bushes but not found any mines, until a posting on Twitter by local Butterfly Conservation senior moth ecologist George led me to make a more serious effort. For me, finding new leafmines is often a matter of getting my eye in – once I’ve seen something, I find it much easier to find again. George directed me to a local Gorse bush where he’d recently found some mines – I didn’t actually check that bush but knew there were other bushes that had recently been flailed further along the same road, and bingo! The mine and larva pictured here came from a cut branch lying on the ground.

230213 phyllonorycter ulicicolella (1)

The larva is incredibly tiny – about 3mm when fully grown – so it was difficult to get clear photos. According to the UK Moths website, where you can see images of the attractive adult, this moth is ‘nationally scarce’, and can be ‘found in heathland and grassland in southern England and also northwest England’. I guess they need to update that now to include south Wales, thanks to George’s efforts in finding it locally, in various parts of Cardiff and the nearby town of Barry. I will also be continuing my search for the mines in my area.

230213 phyllonorycter ulicicolella (2)

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Leafmines: Bucculatrix ulmella

05 Monday Dec 2022

Posted by sconzani in insects, leaves, trees

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British leafminers, Bucculatrix ulmella, cocoon on Oak leaf, leaf-mining moth, leafmining moth larvae, moth cocoon

This new-to-me species was the result of a recent session turning over Oak leaves to see what might be lurking beneath. I didn’t actually find the leafmines for this creature but rather, on adjacent trees, two empty cocoons – the tiny moths (pictured on the UK Moths website) that were metamorphosing inside had already hatched and flown (you can see part of the pupal case poking out of one cocoon). The ribbing on the cocoon points to this being one of Bucculatrix genus of moths and the fact that these were on Oak gives a positive identification of Bucculatrix ulmella (don’t be fooled by the specific name ulmella, which would appear to indicate the larvae feed on Elm – the species has apparently been misnamed).

221205 Bucculatrix ulmella

 

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Leafmines: Stigmella microtheriella

29 Monday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, insects, leaves, trees

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British leafminers, Hornbeam, leaf-mining moths, leafmines on Hornbeam, leafmining moth larvae, Stigmella microtheriella

Hornbeam is a tree that’s somehow escaped my attention but, at this time of year, when its leaves turn gorgeous and vibrant shades of yellow, I can’t help but notice how widespread it is and, while admiring its autumn colour, I’ve also spotted some leafmines on its leaves.

211129 Stigmella microtheriella (1)

Reading the mine description on the British Leafminers website, I thought I had found Stigmella microtheriella (egg laid, so mine starting, on or near a vein but not in the axil) but, as there was potential confusion with another moth, Stigmella floslactella, I checked with the experts. Rob, one of those behind the British Leafminers website, kindly confirmed that my identification was correct and also commented that ‘Although S floslactella is said to mine Hornbeam I don’t know anyone who has found it on that host. It’s a very doubtful record.’ Now I – and you, if you see mines like these – can record them as Stigmella microtheriella with confidence!

211129 Stigmella microtheriella (2)
211129 Stigmella microtheriella (3)

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Leafmines: Bucculatrix thoracella

22 Monday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in insects, leaves, plants

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British leafminers, Bucculatrix thoracella, leaf-mining moth, leaf-mining moth larvae, leafmines on lime

I found these mines on Lime leaves a few weeks ago but they will still be visible on the yellowing leaves, just not occupied any more. The tiny white tick shape is distinctive, making it easy to identify these as the mines of the little brown and yellow moth Bucculatrix thoracella.

211122 Bucculatrix thoracella (1)
211122 Bucculatrix thoracella (2)

After the ‘tick’ has been formed, the moth larvae graze beneath the leaves, creating small bare areas known as feeding windows. When they moult, the larvae retreat to cocoons – one of the leafmining experts calls them ‘cocoonets’ (shown below), but their final cocoons can be found either in the leaf litter below the tree or on the Lime’s trunk. I’ve yet to find one of those.

211122 Bucculatrix thoracella (3)
211122 Bucculatrix thoracella (4)

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Leafmines: Coleophora peribenanderi

18 Monday Oct 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, insects, plants

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British leafminers, British moths, case-bearing moths, Coleophora peribenanderi, leaf-mining larvae, leaf-mining moth, moth larvae on thistles, Pale Thistle case-bearer

Searching for leafmines on thistles is not for the faint-hearted, writes she with multi-punctured fingers. But it has been worth every drop of blood to find these mines (and I must be a masochist, as, having found them in one place, I then went determinedly searching in other locations – two successes so far, which I’m rather pleased about as there are very few records in south Wales).

211018 Coleophora peribenanderi (1)

The larvae of the moth Coleophora peribenanderi, also known as the Pale Thistle case-bearer (you can see the adult on UK Moths here), builds itself a tube-like case to live in and ventures out of said case to munch happily on the leaves of whichever species of thistle its mother laid her eggs on (in the three I’ve found so far, Creeping thistle). The marks this feeding makes on the plant’s leaves are quite distinctive but, to clinch the identification, you need to look under the leaf and find the case.

211018 Coleophora peribenanderi (2)

Interestingly, the larva feeds up for a couple of months, from July to September, then suspends its development (the scientific word is diapause, a new one for me) through the winter until either feeding up a bit more in April or passing straight to pupation in May. Fascinating stuff!

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Leafmines: Acrocercops brongniardella

20 Monday Sep 2021

Posted by sconzani in insects, leaves, trees

≈ 2 Comments

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Acrocercops brongniardella, British leafminers, Holm oak, leaf-mining moth, leafmines, leafmines on Oak

Another Monday, another leaf-mining moth. This one goes by the tongue-twisting name of Acrocercops brongniardella and can be found on the leaves of Oak trees, mostly in southern parts of England, Wales and Ireland. The adult moth is a very smart-looking creature (see the photos on the UK Moths website).

210920 acrocercops brongniardella (1)

Fortunately, the larval leafmines are fairly easy to identify as they begin with a distinctive twist before broadening to a large blotch or blister.

210920 acrocercops brongniardella (2)

I found my very first Acrocercops brongniardella mines in a small area of woodland on 6 September and have since found more on a tree in a local park, both times on the evergreen Holm oak (Quercus ilex) and the latter rather abundant on leaves at the tips of lower branches. The mines can supposedly be found on all oak species, though I’ve failed to find them in the other local woodlands where I’ve recently been walking and there are not a lot of records for this species of Wales. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more.

210920 acrocercops brongniardella (3)

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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