Tuesday 27 June 2017

Farmyard mines

I had a quick look for mines and galls in the Court Farm yard at Dingestow, and was surprised at how many I found.  Unlike autumn mining, which focuses on trees, today's focus was on two groups of plants: Willowherbs for Mompha and Goosefoots/Fat-hen for Chrysoesthia.  These are mostly really colourful moths when adult, and I have swept several species from the mixed beds of Fat-hen and Willowherbs in the farmyard over the last few years, but today was about the mines.  Please check local scruffy areas for these under-recorded Micros!

Chrysoesthia sexgutella (white mine with little frass, grouped in the centre) & C drurella (browner mine with wandering broadly linear frass), both on Chenopodium or Atriplex

Mompha locupletella on Epilobium ciliatum and Mompha langiella (I believe) on Epilobium parviflorum
 
 
Stem gall of Mompha divisella on Epilobium ciliatum {I can't rotate the pic despite trying}

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