Magor mines

An unsuccessful search for Alder fungi at Magor Marsh allowed me the chance to record a few leaf mines.  Phyllocnistis saligna were abundant on Crack Willow, Acrolepia autumniella was making blotches on Bittersweet, and there were 4 common species mining Hawthorn.  I checked a lot of Meadowsweet because the only time I have seen the scarce Stigmella on that plant was at a wetland in Glamorgan where Meadowsweet was allowed to grow ungrazed and uncut.  After seeing a lot of Agromyza fly mines with very sparse frass, I was pleased to spot one mine of Stigmella ulmariae (S. filipendulae now) new for VC35 with a broad line of black frass.

 I made my way over to a group of Aspens, which supported the leafmining fly Aulagromyza tremulae plus a few small tentiform mines with underside creases.  I hoped these might be Phyllonorycter sagitella, but the mines seem much too small and I now think they are Caloptilia stigmatella.  I subsequently disturbed an imago of C. stigmatella about 50m from the Aspen group.