Late Autumn Leaf Mining - a blog of wiggles, blotches and folds

Back in late October I amused myself by having a slightly more than half-hearted look at leaf mines once again and I therefore apologise now for this rather leafy post filled with blotches, wiggles, folds, creases and spirals. 

Creating a blog post is as much story telling for my own benefit as for others so perhaps you will excuse this indulgence.  It has taken a while to put together as I had a stab at the identifications myself but then had to grovel to the ever helpful Mr Wren for his input and expertise.  In fact not only did I send the poor man nearly 300 images but I also sent him the leaves in the post to sift through for closer inspection.  I actually did ok…

My Strood garden was the first target on the 25^th and I simply snapped a few mines with my phone but I am finding that I am learning by repetition.

These two Caloptilia sp neat cones on Field Maple caused Antony some consternation but we may yet get to a resolution.

Lyonetia clerkella on Hawthorn

Lyonetia clerkella on Cherry

Lyonetia clerkella on Rowan

Parornix anglicella 1& 2 Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae 3 & 4

Parornix devoniella on Hazel

Phyllonorycter coryli on Hazel 

Stigmella microtheriella on Hazel

Phyllonorycter corylifoliella on Wild Service Tree - late stage fold

Phyllonorycter corylifoliella on Wild Service Tree

Phyllonorycter corylifoliella on Wild Service Tree

Phyllonorycter corylifoliella 2, Lyonetia clerkella 1, Stigmella hybnerella 3 on Hawthorn

Stigmella aceris on Norway Maple

Phyllonorycter joannisi on Norway Maple

Phyllonorycter joannisi on Field Maple - unusual

Phyllonorycter geniculella on Sycamore 

Phyllonorycter leucographella on Pyracantha 

Psychoides sp on Hart's Tongue

Psychoides sp on Hart's Tongue

Stigmella anomalella on Tea Rose

Stigmella aurella on Bramble

Stigmella luteeella on Silver Birch

Stigmella plagicolella on Blackthorn

A real moth! Acleris hastiana 

Psyche casta - an easy to id Bagworm moth larva

Ruby Tiger caterpillar

Araneus diadematus

Girdled Snail - Hygromia cinctella

Phytomyza ilicis - the fly has at last found my Holly!

A few days later I had a spare hour while around my parents in Ilford and spent it looking like a very odd person ambling around two windy parks sticking leaves into two bread bags which had been vacated after feeding the gulls and ducks.

Barking Park:

Stigmella aurella on Bramble

Lyonetia clerkella on Cherry

Ectoedemia subbimaculella on English Oak 

Bucculatrix ulmella on English Oak Mid rib blotch with silk cocoon next to it 

Ectoedemia heringella on Holm Oak 

Phyllonorycter esperella 1 and Stigmella microtheriella 2 on Hornbeam 

 Stigmella microtheriella on Hornbeam

Phyllonorycter tenerella 1 and Stigmella microtheriella 2 on Hornbeam 

Phyllonorycter platani on London Plane 

Phyllonorycter platani on London Plane 

Phyllonorycter platani on London Plane 

Phyllonorycter platani on London Plane 

 Phyllonorycter joannisi 1 & Stigmella aceris 2 on Norway Maple

Phyllonorycter comparella on Poplar sp 

Phyllonorycter comparella on Poplar sp 

Phyllonorcter comparella on Poplar sp 

Phyllonorycter comparella on Poplar sp 

Ectoedemia spinosella on Prunus sp

Phyllonorycter spinocolella on Prunus sp

Phyllonorycter spinocolella on Prunus sp

Stigmella plagiocolella on Prunus sp

Stigmella plagiocolella on Prunus sp

Phyllonorycter leucographella on Pyracantha 

Stigmella salicis group on Sallow 

Stigmella roborella on English Oak  small wiggle - blotch mine species TBC

Stigmella roborella on English Oak  small wiggle

Phyllonorycter geniculella on Sycamore 

Phytomyza ilicis fly mine on Holly 

Aulagromyza tremulae fly mine on Aspen 

There was some other wildlife too!

Moorhens in their natural urban habitat...

And the ever demanding Egyptian Goose

Black-headed Gull 

Black-headed Gull 

Common Gull 

Carrion Crow 

Little Egret

Little Egret

Black-headed Gull 

Black-headed Gull 

Moorhen - look at those toes

Girdled Snail

Calliphora vicina 

Sargus bipunctatus

And so to South Park:

Lyonetia clerkella on American Elm 

Stigmella lemniscella on American Elm 

Stigmella viscerella on American Elm 

Phyllonorycter schreberella on English / Wych Elm

Stigmella lemniscella on English / Wych Elm 

Stigmella ulmivora on English / Wych Elm - exit under leaf

Phyllonorycter leucographella on Apple 

Lyonetia clerkella on Apple 

Phyllonorycter corylifoliella on Apple

Lyonetia clerkella on Cherry

Phyllonorycter cerasicolella on Cherry

Stigmella anomalella on Dog Rose 

Phyllonorycter quercifoliella on English Oak

Tischeria ekebladella on English Oak

Tischeria ekebladella on English Oak - underside of the preceding

Blotch TBC on English Oak

Blotch TBC on English Oak - underside of preceding

Blotch TBC on English Oak

Blotch TBC on English Oak

Caloptilia alchimiella or robustella on English Oak 

Caloptilia alchimiella or robustella on English Oak

Stigmella roborella on English Oak 

Stigmella roborella on English Oak

Antony will be rearing on many of the grubs in the above Oak leaves so there may be some future identifications if they have not been parasitized! 

Phyllonorycter corylifoliella on Hawthorn

Bucculatrix bechsteinella on Hawthorn

Parornix anglicella 1 & Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae 2 on Hawthorn

Phyllonorycter leucographella on Hawthorn

Stigmella paradoxa on Hawthorn

Lyonetia clerkella on Hawthorn

Stigmella perpygmaeella 1 & Stigmella oxyacanthella 2 on Hawthorn

Phyllonorycter tenerella on Hornbeam

Stigmella tiliae on Lime

Stigmella tiliae on Lime

Phyllonorycter platani on London Plane 

Phyllonorycter joannisi on Norway Maple 

Phyllonorycter joannisi on Norway Maple - upper

Phyllonorycter joannisi on Norway Maple - under

Stigmella aceris on Norway Maple

Stigmella aceris on Norway Maple

Phyllonorycter geniculella on Sycamore

Stigmella speciosa on Sycamore

Stigmella speciosa on Sycamore

Stigmella aurella on Bramble

And thus endeth the moth leaf mines...

Phytomyza ilicis -  fly mine on Holly

Aulagromyza cornigera fly mine on Snowberry 

I feed the pigeons, I sometimes feed the sparrows too
It gives me a sense of enormous well-being...

Parklife...