As it’s very common, I’m sure you’ve all seen this damage on the leaves of Horse chestnut trees. These are leafmines, made by the larvae of the Horse chestnut leafminer (Cameraria ochridella) (see my blog Horse chestnut leafminer, 18 July 2018).

Until last Friday, I’d only ever seen the leafmines, never the adult moth. But, as I walked past this particular Horse chestnut tree, lots of tiny creatures were flitting around its lower leaves. At first, I wasn’t sure what the creatures were – they looked like little flies. Then one of them landed on a leaf in front of me and I managed to get a closer look – a moth, not a fly, and very prettily marked too.

I must have stood watching for 15 minutes or more, waiting for a moth to settle and snapping a few quick photos before it zipped off … and again … and again. It was a good test of my patience, and I’m really glad I was in the right place at the right time to see these beautiful moths.