These finds date from early November but it’s taken a while to get their identity confirmed. These are the larval leafmines of the gorgeous little moth Gracillaria syringella, shown here on Wild privet (Ligustrum vulgare) though they can also be found mining the leaves of Lilac species (Syringa, hence the epithet in their scientific name), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and Jasmine (Jasminum sp.).

Once hatched from their eggs, the larvae initially feed within a gallery mine (difficult to see in my images so I’ve marked them with a red arrow), then broaden their horizons into a large blotch. My finds were late in the year – the mines of Gracillaria syringella can usually be found in June and then again during August-September.