Square bashing

There are a handful of leaf-mining species that are so ubiquitous that any square with no records of these is likely (though not 100% certainly) to have no records of any leaf-miners. So the following was shared with recorders, showing all VC55 tetrads with leaf mine records of Parornix anglicella, Stigmella aurella and Lyonetia clerkella combined:

On Monday I headed out for a couple of hours or so in the middle of the day to respectfully avoid the box shuffling and do a bit of square bashing. My plan was to find something in the two blank squares in SP58, and then head across to SP39 and at least cover off the squares that were fully or mostly in VC55 (alongside the Warks border). I wasn't going to traipse all over pathways and farmland - this was going to be a quick hit by stopping on roadways and verges, a quick 15 minutes or so survey and move on.

A squint at the map suggested that one of the two squares in SP58 would be a bit sparse with only one roadway through a corner, but the other looked a fair bet. This turned out to be as expected, with 13 species found in SP5684 but only 3 in SP5884. Amongst these were nothing unexpected or notable. 

I then headed along the A5 to SP39 with good intent, only to find that the further west I went the greyer and eventually wetter it became. I'd not bothered at all to check the weather forecast. I turned off the A5 into SP3296 and pulled up just outside of Witherley. By then the drizzle had turned to rain and then stopped again. A quick look around yielded 10 species quite easily, before a light drizzle started again. Back in the car, and I headed into SP3098 where I noted an amusingly named King Dick's Hole. I stopped near a junction just west of Ratcliffe Bridge and found a slightly different mix of species, 11 in all including Bedellia somnulentella and Chrysoesthia drurella. After a couple of sarnies in the car, in another shower, I headed east along the road through Ratcliffe Culey across to Upton in SP3698. From there I intended to head south-west towards Atterton and then south to Fenny Drayton - hence covering the five main squares. The weather though had other ideas and within five minutes of getting out of the car at Upton (during which I picked up 6 species) the rain properly set in and I lost enthusiasm. 

Overall I added records to five previously blank tetrads, with 48 records of 23 species in total. Had I managed to find any tenanted mines on oak it could have been more, and if there been any birch, beech or apple. I'll head back over to some of these squares again at some point for a better look.

View north at SP57148422

View north-north-east at SP31919979

View north-north-east at SP36399970

Chrysoesthia drurella

Bedellia somnulentella

I also found quite a few Stigmella mines on Alder at Witherley - sadly though all vacated so indeterminable. Certainly one I'll be looking out for in the next few weeks.

Earlier in the morning, I'd emptied the garden trap and grabbed a few snaps. The catch included another garden tick that I've been expecting after recent colonisation and spread - a Cypress Pug sitting on the egg boxes propped up against the outside of the trap. I thought that would be the only highlight, but on lifting out the funnel there sat a spanking Vestal - only the second for the garden (first was in 2013).

Cypress Pug

Vestal

Satellite

Whilst grabbing some foliage from the front garden border to plonk the Cypress Pug on, I stumbled on this larva which I'm going to try and rear far enough to ID ....

"I've been a long-term disappointment to myself, but it hits like a hammer when I'm that to someone else. And the circle doesn't fit its little square, it bulges with opportunity. Bulges"

Emergency

Had a rough few days doing nowt, although my part-rejuvenation has coincided with the weather briefly perking up so perhaps I will get out tomorrow. In the meantime, any action has been indoors.

Last year I found a sawfly larva in the garden that I'd have to try and rear through to confirm which species - Abia lonicera or Abia aenea. Remarkably it survived despite being mistreated for prolonged periods and a spell of very cold weather whilst any larvae and pupae I had were in the shed, and it emerged on Friday 26/03/2021 after being transferred to a newly acquired rearing cage. I was hoping that would be enough, but sadly not - it appears that the adults are not readily separable either and it's going to have to be pinned and scrutinised more closely to confirm (by absence/presence of microsculpture on mesosternum). There is also a subjective antennal character which I can't make head or arseholes of. It is far more likely to be Abia lonicera; that was apparently new to VC55 in 2018 and there are a number of subsequent records although it's not clear that any have been properly scrutinised. There are apparently no records of Abia aenea for VC55.

It's a funky fat sawfly either way. I fully expect that there will be more of these, whichever species, on the front garden Lycestria bush in due course.

Today whilst on a work phone call, I spotted what appeared to be a small micromoth on the inside of the office window, although the window was wide open at the time. I managed to deftly pot it one handed whilst continuing the call. It was only later when I looked at it with an eyeglass that I realised it was one spanking looking micro, though off the top of my head I wasn't sure which one. After a bit of literature trawling I realised it was mint-fresh and out of season Chrysoesthia drurella, at which point my elation turned to nagging doubt. You'll recall I found and collected some mines last year, but I thought the larvae had all died after leaving the mines. And anyway, how could one be on the window if it was supposed to be in my rearing box (which had long since been re-purposed for the Ctesias serra larvae I'm trying to rear). The mystery and doubt would have endured forever had I not casually looked at the said rearing box and noted something flitting about in it - yes of course, another Chrysoesthia drurella. So not new for me or the garden, though good to see an adult. I had a quick effort with the TG-6, not happy but better than nothing. Anything shot with this really has to be absolutely still to get the best in-camera stacking results.

The moth trap is out tonight for the first time since Thursday; low expectations as today has been unseasonably warm and tonight will be seasonably cold. With a breeze.

Tomorrow I am expecting delivery of a couple of tortrix pheromone lures; there has been a National epiphany this year with many records of multiple Pammene giganteana to various lures for other tortrix spp. - turning it from an absent/rare species to apparently common in the process. I've ordered lures for Grapholita lobarzweskii and Grapholita molesta. Perhaps I can add Pammene giganteana to the square list by hanging a lure off of the two biggest oaks, and re-record G. lobarzweskii later in the year.

Some Candy

Checking up on how a few tenanted mines were doing this evening, I was confronted by a number of small larvae wandering around in the tub. It didn't take long to realise that these were Chrysoesthia drurella larvae that had left the mines and were wandering around preparing to pupate. Hopefully anyway. I've separated them out and with a bit of luck at least one will make it through. The larvae are stunning, like tiny candy sticks crawling around.

Green World

This evening, I finally found a leaf mine that - if I'm honest - I've wanted to see for some time but have never made the effort. In the event, I found several mines on a handful of Fat Hen plants growing just at the edge of a field entrance down the lane, less than 1km from home. This in itself probably shows that the moth might not wander too far - in 20 odd years of garden trapping, and trapping away from home, I've never had a sniff.

Anyway, here are a couple of leaves showing several mines of Chrysoesthia drurella ....

As you can just about see, leaves can hold several mines and most of the mines were tenanted. I've collected a few leaves so hopefully I can get a spanking adult to emerge for a snap.

Here's one stuffing itself inside it's green world ....

Prior to finding these, I nipped over to Burbage Common for an hour where I found quite a few other mines and bits to mull over.