Monday 7 October 2013

Alder leafminers

Here are some pics of the leafminers I posted about yesterday.  They were on large mature Alders in Cyncoed in Cardiff. I also have one pupated in a Phyllonorycter style leaf fold and a caterpillar.

No ideas on this one!

Possible Incurvaria pectinea/Fenusa dohrnii

Possible Phllonorycter Kleemannella?

5 comments:

  1. I think the first one is a fly - anything with a dual frass trail usually is.

    I'm afraid I also think the second one is a sawfly (sawfly mines are very common on alders in Cardiff at this time of year).

    Sorry can't help with the Phyllonorycter - with around 4 species on alder I think these need breeding through to be sure.

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  2. Thanks George, it looks like I have quite a bit to learn here! I've now got the pupae, the caterpillar and the undetermined leafmine in jam jars so we'll see what happens!

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  3. Best to start with trees other than alder, oak, willow and hawthorn, all of which can be tricky. I never even look at mines on oak as most are impossible without rearing through.

    Hazel and sycamore are good starters - relatively few species and most are lepidopterous.

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  4. 1 yes, Dipterous most likely Agromyza alnivora
    2 F. dohrnii - many of the blotches becoming elongate and not round and also time of year a factor

    Dave

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  5. Thanks Dave - would it be safe to record is as A alnivora? There seem to be few previous county records for it as far as I can tell.

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