The identification of leaf-mining lepidoptera introduction

Lyonetiidae

Mine a fine gallery with reddish frass leading to a large blotch where frass is dispersed. Blotch may be separated from mine, occasionally on a different leaf. Not recorded in Britain since 1902. [7-8] …………………………………..…. Lyonetia prunifoliella 262

Mine a long sinuous gallery, often whitish in appearance and often crossing midrib. The egg is laid inside the leaf being injected through the epidermal layer. This feature helps to distinguish it from a Nepticulid mine where the egg is laid on the surface of the leaf. [5+7+9-10] ..………………………………….….……..………… Lyonetia clerkella 263
Bucculatricidae

Mine short contorted, linear black, close to a major vein. Later the larva eats out windows from upperside [7-8]…………………….……….Bucculatrix bechsteinella 275

1 Mine on upperside of leaf……………………………………….……………………..…2

Mine on underside of leaf…………………………………….…………………………..3
2 Mine usually between veins, about 10mm diameter, without central diferently coloured patch; larva later feeds in folded leaf edge [7-8] ….….…..……. Callisto denticulella 310 Mine usually over a vein, about 20mm in diameter, with centrally differently coloured patch, larva mines throughout [7+9-10]……………..….Phyllonorycter corylifoliella 332

Mine over mid-rib, silvery [7+10-4]……………..…..Phyllonorycter leucographella 332a

………………………………………………….………….………Parornix scoticella 305

Mine with lower epidermis usually with several folds [6-7+9-10] ………………….…. ……………………………………….……………….……Phyllonorycter hostis 327

…………………………….…………………….…….or Phyllonorycter blancardella 326

N.B. It is impossible to distinguish between the mines of P. hostis and P. blancardella.

The adults must be reared and preferably dissected to be certain of their identity.

Mine narrow, larval spinning causes leaf to fold downwards; after leaving mine larvae construct a cone by rolling leaf tip downwards; two cones are made; upper epidermis silvery [7-9] ……………..………………………………... Caloptilia cuculipennella 280

Mine narrow, often several parallel galleries which merge to form a large blotch; after leaving mine larvae construct a cone by rolling leaf tip downwards feeding gregariously;

two cones are made; upper epidermis yellow or brown [6+8-9]…Caloptilia syringella 293

Mine wholly in leaf on Black and Lombardy Poplar [6-7+9-10].Stigmella trimaculella 73

On Aspen [8-10] ..………………………………………….…….Stigmella assimilella 74

Mine starts in petiole & finishes in leaf

On Aspen [7-11] .………………………………….……….… Ectoedemia argyropeza 23

On Grey Poplar [7-10] .……………………………….….……..Ectoedemia turbidella 24

On Black Poplar or Lombardy Poplar [7-11] ……….….…..Ectoedemia hannoverella 24a
Gracillariidae

1 Mine an epidermal gallery, larva feeds later in a cone or blotch ………………………....2

Mine an epidermal gallery throughout, long and sinuous ……………..…………………4
2 Epidermal gallery long, sometimes extending from mid-rib to leaf-margin; tentiform mine small about 10mm long; larva feeds later in a cone or fold on the leaf margin [7-9]

………………………………………………………..…………Caloptilia stigmatella 288

Epidermal gallery short, usually obscured by later blotch; tentiform mine larger, about 13mm long ………………………………………….…………………………………….3
3 On Aspen [6+8-9] ..……………………………….…………Phyllonorycter sagitella 366

On White Poplar, Grey Poplar and occasionally other Poplar species [7-8+9-10] ..……..

…………………………………………………………… Phyllonorycter comparella 365
4 On Black Poplar or Lombardy Poplar, mine epidermal on the side the egg was laid. Difficult to see, looks as though a snail has crawled over leaf. No visible frass [6+8-9] ..…………………………………………………..…….….Phyllocnistis unipunctella 368

On White Poplar or Grey Poplar, snail trail like mine with dark central frass trail [6-7+8-9]………………………………………………………..…………Phyllocnistis xenia 369

Feeding starts in an irregular gallery which develops into a blotch, after leaving the mine the larva makes two successive cones rolling the tip of a leaf downwards [6+9] .……….

…………………………………………………………….………Caloptilia azaleella 285
BEECH

Nepticulidae

Gallery completely without coiled frass, egg on underside against mid-rib amongst hairs in angle with vein [6-7+8-10] ..…………………………..………..Stigmella tityrella 77

A section of coiled frass soon after start of gallery, egg on underside away from mid-rib [6+8-9]……………………………………………………….. Stigmella hemargyrella 81

Gracillariidae

1 Mine on upperside of leaf…………………………………………………………..……..2

Mine on underside of leaf………………………….……..……………………………….3

2 Mine with creases, contracted (rare aberration) [7+9-10] Phyllonorycter maestingella 341

..…………………..…………….…………...Phyllonorycter leucographella 332a

3 Mine sub-rectangular, less than 9mm long lightly spun and a little arched; both upper 

Mine oval or elongate, more strongly spun and arched; lower epidermis green without 

reticulation; larva mines throughout …………….……………………………………….3

4 Mine a broad oval, about 12mm long, larva yellow; cocoon edged with frass [7+10] ….

Mine an elongate tube between veins or on leaf-margin, larva pale greenish yellow; cocoon to one side of frass which is piled neatly along middle of mine [7+9-10] ……….. ……………………………………………………………Phyllonorycter maestingella 341

BILBERRY

Nepticulidae

Early mine highly contorted, becoming more direct, frass linear or broken linear leaving clear margins. May lead to a blotch often near leaf margin. Egg underside near mid-rib. Larva amber yellow, head brown [7+9-10] ……………………. Stigmella myrtillella 72

BINDWEED

Lyonetiidae

Eriocraniidae (May to July)

This feature normally remaining visible when absorbed in the later blotch…….………...2

Mine begins at or near leaf edge. A short length of feeding, if present, widens abruptly

into a blotch…………………………………………………………………….………….3

2 Early gallery, in centre of leaf, absorbed by an elongate oval blotch, leading to a large

blotch on leaf edge. Larval feeding starts in May. Final instar larva white, with pale

brown head and darker mouth parts, lateral projections on first abdominal segment

[5-6] .……………………..……………………………..…….…..Eriocrania salopiella 10

Early gallery, in centre of leaf, somewhat angular and absorbed by narrow angular

blotch leading to a larger blotch on leaf edge. Larval feeding starts in June. Final instar

larva white, head brown with black lateral edges. On the prothorax (dorsal surface) are

two cloudy brown spots [6-8] ….………………….………….Eriocrania sparrmannella 9

watery-white larvae [5] .………………………………….…..…Eriocrania cicatricella 11

The blotch contains only a single larva………………….……………………………….4
4 Larva dark grey [4-5] ..……………………………………….………Eriocrania sangii 12

Larva whitish…………………………………………………….……………………….5

segment [4-5] ..…………………………….………….….…Eriocrania semipurpurella 13

Larva (final instar) with dark brown head. The posterior points of the head-capsule show as two black spots. Lateral projections on second abdominal segment [4-5] .……………

……………………………………………..…………………...Eriocrania unimaculella 8

1 Mine forming a blotch ……………………………………….…………………………..2

Mine forming a gallery …………………………………….…………………………….3
2 Blotch with a conspicuous brown central spot [8-10] .……….. Ectoedemia occultella 34

Blotch without such a spot; but with the earlier contorted gallery in one corner [7-9] ..…

………………………………………………………….………Ectoedemia minimella 35
3 Frass dispersed………………………………………………………………….……… 4

Frass linear ……………………………………………………………………….……. 5

       age [6-7+9-10] .……… ………………….…………………… Stigmella continuella 64

Mine shorter and more contorted; frass broken linear and thicker ……………………. 7

Frass black and linear throughout the mine [7-8]………………Stigmella confusella 117

Mine less contorted at the start, mine edges more or less parallel; larva yellow with dark brown head and a chain of dark ventral spots; frequently gregarious [7+9] ……………… ……………….……………………………………………………Stigmella betulicola 110

Incurvariidae

Heliozelidae

into midrib, it then cuts out an oval hole 5 x 2mm in the blade of the leaf [7-8] ………….

…………………………………………………………..…….Heliozela hammoniella 157

Lyonetiidae

Mine a long sinuous gallery, often whitish in appearance and often crossing midrib. The egg is laid inside the leaf being injected through the epidermal layer. This feature helps to distinguish it from a Nepticulid mine where the egg is laid on the surface of the leaf [5+7+9-10]……..…………………………………….………….….Lyonetia clerkella 263

Mine narrow, often contorted at first, later following a vein, final chamber often at right angle to previous mine, frass filling mine. Later the larva eats out windows from either side of leaf [8] ..………………………………………….…..Bucculatrix demaryella 276

1 Mine on upperside of leaf ……………………………………………………………….2

Mine on underside of leaf ……………………………………………………………….3
2 Mine occupying most of the leaf which eventually almost closes over it; larva mines throughout [7+9-10] ……………………..….Phyllonorycter corylifoliella f. betulae 332

Mine small, less than 12mm long; larva feeds later in a rolled leaf [5+7]………………..

…………………………………………………………………. Caloptilia betulicola 283
3 Mine with lower cuticle brown; larva feeds later in a rolled or folded leaf ………….….4

Mine with lower cuticle greenish, turning brown with age ; larva mines throughout….. 7

Larva completes growth in a rolled leaf ……………………….……………………….. 6

Univoltine, feeding July to August [7-8] ..…………..……………Parornix loganella 300

Final leaf-roll transverse [5+7] ………………...……….…….…Caloptilia betulicola 283

Mine 10-15mm long; lower epidermis with 1-6 folds …………………………………. 8

Mine on seeding or mature birches, larva with brown head; pupa in a cocoon …….…...9

9  Mine with several folds which may appear as a single fold, larva pale yellowish green turning yellow before pupation, head pale brown [7+9-10] ………….…….……………. ………………………………………………………….Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella 353

Slender galley terminating in blotch

Frass black, preferring a woodland biotype [6-9] ..……………….Trifurcula cryptella 48

Frass brownish, preferring a downland biotype [6-7+9-10] ……….Trifurcula eurema 49

Lyonetiidae

spurs project from the blotch where feeding has taken place. Larva may move to a fresh leaf, more than once [5-6+7-8]..………………………………..….Leucoptera lotella 259

Mine a gallery with coiled green frass [7+9-10] ……………. Stigmella prunetorum 109

Early gallery slender leading to a large blotch rounded with frass in centre [7+9-10] ….. ………………………………………………………………… Stigmella plagicolella 67

Early gallery highly contorted, with reddish frass, continues as an irregular gallery leading to an elongated blotch [7-10] …………………………Ectoedemia spinosella 27

Lyonetiidae

Mine a long sinuous gallery, often whitish in appearance and often crossing midrib. The egg is laid inside the leaf being injected through the epidermal layer. This feature helps to distinguish it from a Nepticulid mine where the egg is laid on the surface of the leaf

[5-7+9-10] ………………………….……………….……………. Lyonetia clerkella 263
Gracillariidae

1 On Bird Cherry [6-7+9-10] …………………………………….Phyllonorycter sorbi 324

On other prunus species………………………………………………………………….2
2 On Wild Cherry, Dwarf Cherry or cultivated cherry [7+9-4] …………………………… …………………………………………………………..Phyllonorycter cerasicolella 330

On Blackthorn or Wild Plum…………………………………………………………….3

3 Mine about 12mm long; lower epidermis green; larva mines throughout overwintering in the mine, pupating in the spring [7+9-4] ...………………Phyllonorycter spinicolella 329

Mine small, about 8mm long; larva feeds later in a folded leaf edge…….………………4

Larva whitish green with green legs [7-9] ….………………… Parornix torquillella 309

Yponomeutidae

Mine long, narrow and yellowish brown almost filled with black linear frass alongside the mid-rib, later the larvae leaves the mine and eats out windows from the under side of the leaf [8-9]..………..……………………………..………………..Bucculatrix cidarella 272

N.B. early mine can be confused with that of a Nepticulidae, but egg matt black and rough in appearance.
BRAMBLES

Nepticulidae

Mine long frass linear or if dispersed occupying only one third of mine width, often on Dewberry [7+9-10] …………..…………………………..Stigmella splendidissimella 53

Mine whitish edges often with a little purple staining [5-6+7-8+10-3] ……….………….

…………………………………………………………………….... Stigmella aurella 50

Mined area extensively stained purple straight following veins on evergreens [10-12] .… ………………………………………………………….….Ectoedemia erythrogenella 32

Mine contorted little if any purple confined to start usually on deciduous [10] .………… ………………………………………………………….………. Ectoedemia rubivora 31

Early mine narrow, often following a vein with broken linear frass, broadening later, frass becoming dispersed linear, clear margins throughout. Often several mines in a leaf. Scotland [9-11]……..……………………………………...……….Stigmella pretiosa 54a

Tischeriidae

tunnel of silk runs through the centre of the mine. Frass is ejected through a slit in the upper epidermis [7+9-3]……………………………….….………Emmetia marginea 125

Mine long, narrow and inflated, in the green bark usually near the end of a green twig, often on a sapling [9-5] ………………………………….. Phyllonorycter scopariella 340

Contorted galley will dispersed frass [6-7+9-10] .……….……Stigmella catharticella 98

Mine starts as a tightly wound spiral staining leaf blackish violet; then the mine straightens with no staining; after leaving mine larva eats out windows from below [8-9]

………………………………………………………………..Bucculatrix frangulella 270
BUSH VETCH

Gracillariidae

Mine underside occupying whole of leaflet; lower surface contracted causing edges to curl downwards contorting leaf [7+9-10] …………….Phyllonorycter nigrescentella 349

1 Frass dispersed in the early gallery [8-10] ………………..……Ectoedemia arcuatella 30

Frass linear in the early gallery…………………………………………………………. 2
2 Early gallery slender, abruptly changing to a blotch; larva whitish green [7+9-11] ……..

………………………………………………………….…….Stigmella aeneofasciella 55

Early gallery following leaf margin, widening considerably, but not abruptly becoming a blotch; larva yellow, ovum usually on upperside of leaf [7+9-10] ….……………………

…………………………………………………………..…..Stigmella poterii f. serella 61

Mine an opaque ochreous brown gallery along midrib with clearer branches where the larva has fed; larva changes leaves and pupates externally [4-5+6+7-8] ……………..….. …………………………………………………………………….Parectopa ononidis 299

Mine on underside of leaf; larva does not change leaves and pupates in the mine

[7+9-10] .………………………………………….……... Phyllonorycter insignitella 350

Feeding starts in a small spiral gallery which soon develops into a blotch, frass linear, upper epidermis brown; often two or three larvae to a mine. Larva eventually turn scarlet and now frass is scattered in mine [7-9] ………………..……..Dialectica imperialella 311

N.B. Mines with blackish discoloration of the upper epidermis are caused by flies.