Several new ones

Back to reality after the great week away in Cornwall, with limited trapping at my work premises in Roecliffe, Boroughbridge, and several forays out looking at leaves for leaf-mines.  Although an industrial site, the works premises backs on to a small willow fringed pond, with open fields next to the River Ure, which tantalizingly marks the VC64/65 border.

Trapping site at work

Nine nights trapping at work in September produced small numbers of moths, 368 of 52 species, and three nights so far in October offered 67 of 29 species, but included several of interest of which two macros were new to me.

Juniper Carpet, Roecliffe, VC64, 18 Oct 2021

Sprawler, Roecliffe, VC64, 8 Oct 2021

I had wondered whether I had overlooked Juniper Carpet in the past but on seeing this one I was immediately struck by the distinct apical dashes.  I addition there were fairly late records of Blood-vein on 5 October and Light Emerald on 7 October.  

After a few days stuck in hospital in early October I just had to get out and walk locally in the pleasant Saturday sun on 16 October.  Probably the best find was two London Plane trees between Langthorpe and Kirby Hill (VC65) which held numerous mines of Phyllonorycter platani.

Phyllonorycter platani mine on London Plane, Langthorpe, VC 65, 16 October

Phyllonorycter platani mine on London Plane, Langthorpe, VC 65, 16 October

The same as above, underside.

A casual stroll round the Yorkshire Arboretum on 23 October yielded a few leaf-mines.  The best was a few mines on Sweet Chestnut which were proper mines rather than the numerous Phyllonorycter messaniella blotches, and could only be Stigmella samiatella, a new one for me.  Common on oak where it needs to be bred through to confirm, it is thought to be the only Stigmella on Castanea.  The only other mines of interest were some more Phyllonrycter platani this time on Oriental Plane.

Stigmella samiatella mine on Sweet Chestnut

Stigmella samiatella mines on Sweet Chestnut

Phyllonorycter platani mines on Oriental Plane.

Phyllonorycter platani mines on Oriental Plane.

On checking the 30+ Sweet Chestnut at Allerton Park south of Boroughbridge VC64 there were probably several thousand Phyllonorycter messaniella blotches, but despite careful searching not one S. samiatella mine could be found.