One from the summer

I never got chance to post this at the time, but way back on 28th May I found lots of large Coleophora cases, and associated leaf mines, on Wych Elm growing at Llandaff Weir, Cardiff. The cases appeared much too large for C. serratella and looked a good match for C. limosipennella - the ID was confirmed by John Langmaid from photos.

This is the first confirmed record of this species in VC41. There was a 1930s record made by Cox at Taff's Well, but this was rejected by the GMRG committee as the case was on birch, whereas limosipennella feeds only on elm.

Coleophora limosipennella case

Colophora limosipennella leaf mines on Wych Elm

Coleophora limosipennella host elm tree, Llandaff Weir

The cases were abundant and the mines very obvious, so worth looking out for this species elsewhere in Glamorgan next year. They are considerably larger than the similar-looking serratella cases which can also be found on elm.