After the first week of August numbers of moths plummeted and very little was caught in August and September, not helped by a generator malfunction on a particularly warm early autumn night. However, this time of the year does offer opportunity to see early stages of some moths, and I was very pleased to have had the benefit of a Leaf-mining foray in Lancashire with Ben Smart (who wrote the leaf-mining book) at the end of September.
I atach some photos of the more interesting mines/cases with some relevent comment. This first one is a scarce miner on Aspen, a new record for VC62.
 |
| 04.040 Stigmella assimilella, mine on Aspen, Pilmoor, VC62, 02 Sep 2018 |
 |
| 04.056 Stigmella speciosa, mine on Sycamore, Pilmoor, VC62, 16 Sep 2018 |
The next few are a small selection from the leaf-mining trip to Docker Moor in Lancashire:
 |
| 06.004 Heliozela resplendella on Alder, Docker Moor, VC60, 30 Sep 2018 |
 |
| 14.002 Bucculatrix nigricomella on Oxe-eye Daisy, Plain Quarry, VC60, 30 Sep 2018 |
 |
| 15.043 Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae on Hawthorn, Docker Moor, VC60, 30 Sep 2018 |
 |
| 37.044 Coleophora discordella, case on Bird's Foot Trefoil, Docker Moor, VC60, 30 Sep 2018 |
This next one is a scarce miner of Sycamore in Yorkshire.
 |
| 04.039 Stigmella trimaculella, mine on Poplar, Brafferton, 07 Oct 2018 |
Having had a couple adults of this rare moth it was satisfying to get a record of larval feeding.
 |
| 08.005 Phylloporia bistrigella, mine on birch, Sessay, 06 Oct 2018 |
Possibly overlooked in Yorkshire this appears to be the first accepted record for VC62 of Stigmella continuella.
 |
| 04.044 Stigmella continuella, mine on birch, Sessay, VC62, 06 Oct 2018 |
This next miner is one I targeted on the Aspen copse at Pilmoor, and once noted was remarkably easy to see. The larvae burrow from the petiole and make small mines at the base of the leaf, which produce green 'islands' as the leaf turns yellow. At least 50 were seen on small saplings or fallen leaves, so goodness knows how many may have been lurking higher up in the large trees. There is an unpublished record in VC62 in 1976 but this is the first modern record for the Vice County.
 |
| 04.085 Ectoedemia argyropeza, mine on aspen, Pilmoor, VC62, 10 Oct 2018 |
 |
| 04.085 Ectoedemia argyropeza, mines on aspen, Pilmoor, VC62, 10 Oct 2018 |
Having got my eye in looking at Juncus seedheads on Docker Moor in Lancashire, a peruse locally of juncus at Brafferton and Pilmoor produced hundreds of larval cases.
 |
| Coleophora alticolella or glaucicolella, cases on Juncus, Pilmoor, VC62, 10 Oct 2018 |
2018 is looking like a record year for new species for me, especially as a result of concerted effort looking for larva. A full year-end report to follow.
