Garden Leaf-mining Results for 24-09

325 Phyllonorycter mespilella

 A new species for VC30, right under my nose. Confirmed a few days later (D.V. Manning) by means of a vacated pupal case on the underside of the leaf. The food plant pictured is Conference Pear (Pyrus communis). In the wild it feeds on Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis) and Wild Pear (Pyrus pyraster). But is an extremely scarce species with relatively few records.

List of Leaf Mines for Upper Caldecote Garden- TL166457 20 species-

Eriocrania sp.  1- vacated mine in Birch- NFY
0050  Stigmella aurella  5- Mines on Raspberry variety- NFY
0075  Stigmella floslactella  3- Mines on Hornbeam- NFY
0099  Stigmella hybnerella  20- Mines on Hawthorn- NFY
0111  Stigmella microtheriella  4- Mines on Hazel- NFY
0254  Laburnum Leaf Miner (Leucoptera laburnella)  100's on a small Laburnum shrub- NFG
0263  Apple Leaf Miner (Lyonetia clerkella)  100's on various shrubs/trees
0265  Bucculatrix cristatella  1- Mine in Yarrow
0275  Bucculatrix bechsteinella  2- Mines in Hawthorn- NFY
0293  Caloptilia syringella  3- Mines in Lilac- NFG
0304  Parornix devoniella  2- Mines in Hazel- NFY
0310  Callisto denticulella  3- Mines in Apple- NFY
0318  Phyllonorycter tenerella  3- Mines in Hornbeam- NFY
0323  Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae  15- Mines on Hawthorn- NFY
0325  Phyllonorycter mespilella  2- Mines on Pear- NFG and for VC30!-
0332  Phyllonorycter corylifoliella  20- Mines on Hawthorn/Apple/Pear
0332a  Firethorn Leaf Miner (Phyllonorycter leucographella)  2- Mines on Hawthorn- NFY
0343  Phyllonorycter esperella  6- Mines on Hornbeam- NFY
0345  Phyllonorycter rajella  20- Mines on Alder- NFY
0353  Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella  1- Mine on Birch- NFY

Pupae- image of cremaster (tail end) 

"The hooks at the tail end of the pupa (cremaster) are somewhat similar
in many species of Phyllonorycter sp. Fortunately they differ noticeably between mespilella and blancardella.
I am certain that you had mespilella, and John Langmaid (the national expert) has now agreed."

D.V. Manning

      Plate 43 P. mespilella                                                 Plate 44 P. blancardella