NEPTICULIDAE: 56 - END

4.056 Beautiful Sycamore Dot (Stigmella speciosa) mine in Sycamore by the towpath above Cromwell Bottom, Aug. 10th 2017.

4.056 Beautiful Sycamore Dot (Stigmella speciosa) mines in Sycamore at Gibson Mill, Hardcastle Crags, Aug. 30th 2024. 

 

4.060 Red-headed Dot (Stigmella ruficapitella) mine and larva in oak by the Calder at Milner Royd, Sept. 4th 08.

 

4.060 Red-headed Dot (Stigmella ruficapitella) mines and larva in oak at North Dean wood, Aug. 30th 2017.

 

4.060 Red-headed Dot (Stigmella ruficapitella) male, Apr.1st 2010. Reared from mines found near Norland village the previous autumn. Similar to other oak feeding Stigmellas this one needed to be identified by microscopic examination of the hindwing (see below).

 

4.060 Red-headed Dot (Stigmella ruficapitella), hindwing of the above moth. The short, dark, thick scales (arrowed) are the androconial scales. They are present in the males only and release pheromones so the females can decide with which one to mate with. In this species they are around one third the length of the fringe.

 

4.061 Black-headed Dot (Stigmella atricapitella) mine and larva in oak, New Lane, Skircoat Green, Oct. 9th 2010.

4.063 Oak Dot (Stigmella roborella) to MV light at Bower's Mill, Barkisland on Sept. 8th 2024. A rather worn example of an otherwise plain moth, it's not surprising that this species is very under recorded.

4.063 Oak Dot (Stigmella roborella), the gen. prep. of the above moth showing the arrangement of the cornuti in the phallus.

 

4.065 Cryptic Dot (Trifurcella cryptella) mine in Common Bird's-foot Trefoil, Tag meadow, Cromwell Bottom, July 2nd 2017. Three mines were found and all were vacated. The gallery frass is greenish/brown, perhaps green when fresh. Eggs and larval exit holes on the underside.

4.071 Speckled Apple Dot (Bohemannia pulverosella) mine and larva in cultivated apple at Hollin Hall garden, Hardcastle Crags, July 20th 2023.

4.071 Speckled Apple Dot (Bohemannia pulverosella) mine in cultivated apple, Skircoat Green allotments, July 3rd 2017. One of at least three mines present. 

 

4.076 Sycamore-seed Dot (Etainia decentella) on my study window at Skircoat Green on June 7th 2011. Found by day this was a much sought after species for myself as the larval mines are apparently difficult to find in the keys (?) of Sycamore. I didn't hold out much hope of finding any let alone rearing an adult from one so to come by this adult with the minimum of effort was most welcome.

 4.078 Hypericum Dot (Fomoria septembrella) mine in cultivated Hypericum, Skircoat Green, Aug. 5th 2012. Having searched far and wide for wild St. John’s-wort I realised it exists in the cultivated form in several gardens close by and it wasn’t long before I found this mine. A nice long, thin gallery abruptly openeing out to a blotch. No adult to rear through this time as this larva had two ectoparasitoids attached!

4.078 Hypericum Dot (Fomoria septembrella) above and below, found crawling up my bedroom window at Skircoat Green on May 18th 2018.

4.078 Hypericum Dot (Fomoria septembrella) details above.

4.082 White-spot Sallow Dot (Ectoedemia intimella) mine and larva in Grey Willow at Tag Loop, Cromwell Bottom, Nov. 13th 2016. The mine can be just seen running along the petiole before entering the leaf blade.

4.082 White-spot Sallow Dot (Ectoedemia intimella) mine in Goat Willow at Boys Mill road, Luddenden Foot on Nov. 18th 2023. The mine has characteristic twin lines of frass where the larva moves back and forth in to the mid-rib during pauses in feeding.

4.085 Aspen Dot (Ectoedemia argyropeza), a tenanted mine in Aspen, found at Exley Bank wood on Nov. 20th 2016. Despite there being only three Aspens present the mines were numerous and easy to find in fallen leaves.

4.085 Aspen Dot (Ectoedemia argyropeza) a tenanted mine in Aspen, same leaf as above.

 

4.089 White-banded Dot (Ectoedemia albifasciella) mine and larva in oak, Exley Bank wood, Salterhebble, Sept. 15 2017.

4.089 White-banded Dot (Ectoedemia albifasciella) mines and larvae in oak at Bean Hole wood on Aug. 29th 2023.

These early instar larvae have a row of ventral spots which are just visible in the photo.

4.089 White-banded Dot (Ectoedemia albifasciella) mines and larvae, details above. Six days on and clearly the larva in the top mine has died but the lower larva is feeding well.

4.089 White-banded Dot (Ectoedemia albifasciella) male to light at Cromwell Bottom on June 11th 2023.

4.090 Broken-barred Oak Dot (Ectoedemia subbimaculella) mine in oak, Bankhouse wood, Nov. 26th 2010. The diagnostic V shaped slit is visible against the midrib and vein which allows the frass to escape. This green island mine was found on the woodland floor amongst some early snowfall. 

4.090 Broken-barred Oak Dot (Ectoedemia subbimaculella) mines and larvae in oak near Tenterfield's business park, Luddenden Foot on Nov. 10th 2022. The dark heads of the feeding larvae are just visible.

4.090 Broken-barred Oak Dot (Ectoedemia subbimaculella), one of two found on oak leaves near the Wadsworth war memorial at Crimsworth Dean on June 14th 2022.

4.090 Broken-barred Oak Dot (Ectoedemia subbimaculella) genetalia dissection of the moth pictured above. The moth was around 3mm long and having already identified it I had a go at dissection just out of curiosity. I was pleasantly surprised when my "Picasso" attempt actually looked like what it was supposed to.

4.095 Barred Fruit-tree Dot (Ectoedemia atricollis) larva and mine in Hawthorn, Bankhouse wood on Aug. 23rd 2017. A  typical Ectoedemia mine starting as a narrow gallery, in this case along the edge of the leaf, and then opening out in to a blotch.  

4.095 Barred Fruit-tree Dot (Ectoedemia atricollis) larva and mine in cultivated apple in Hollin Hall orchard, Hardcastle Crags on Oct. 4th 2023.

4.095 Barred Fruit-tree Dot (Ectoedemia atricollis) larvae and mines in cultivated apple in Hollin Hall orchard, Hardcastle Crags on Aug. 30th 2024.

4.099 Large Birch Dot (Ectoedemia occultella) mines in Downy Birch, North Dean wood, Oct. 18th 2010. There are around a dozen, tenanted blotch mines on this one leaf alone.

4.099 Large Birch Dot (Ectoedemia occultella) mines and larvae in birch at Tag meadow, Cromwell Bottom, Oct. 16th 2018. The frass is concentrated in a blotch near the centre of the mine. The right hand mine is complete and vacated.

 

4.099 Large Birch Dot (Ectoedemia occultella), a male captured by day on a Beech trunk at North Dean wood on June 8th 09. Its identification was aided by advice from Nepticulid expert Erik van Nieukerken and the use of a microscope to examine the scales on the underside of the forewing. 

Note the eye-caps (scapes) which are modified antennal segments and are a distinctive feature of this family. They are white in the male of this species.

4.100 Barred Birch Dot (Ectoedemia minimella) larva and mine in Hazel at Ogden Water  on Oct. 16th 2021.