8: INCURVARIIDAE AND 7: LONG-HORNS

8.005 Striped Leaf-cutter (Phylloporia bistrigella) mines and larval cut-outs in birch at North Dean wood, Sept. 2nd 2017.

8.005 Striped Leaf-cutter (Phylloporia bistrigella) mine and cut-out, details above. They seem to create a two or three tone leaf. A very satisfying find this one as it marked my 500th lepidoptera species recorded in Calderdale :-)

8.005 Striped Leaf-cutter (Phylloporia bistrigella) mine and cut-out in birch at Milner Royd Nature Reserve, July 9th 2019. One of several present on the same tree.

8.001 Pale Feathered Leaf-cutter (Incurvaria pectinea) mines and larvae in Downy Birch, Norland bilberry slopes, May 27th 2010. Each leaf usually has several mines.

8.001 Pale Feathered Leaf-cutter (Incurvaria pectinea) mines and larvae. A back lit shot of one of the leaves pictured above. Ten mines, all tenanted with feeding larvae.

8.001 Pale Feathered Leaf-cutter (Incurvaria pectinea) mine cut-outs in birch at Turgate Delph, Norland on July 17th 2022. Once the larvae are fully fed they excise their mines to build a case, they then fall to the ground and pupate inside it.

8.001 Pale Feathered Leaf-cutter (Incurvaria pectinea) male, Norland bilberry slopes, May 4th 2010. Captured by day. One of the few micros with pectinate (feathered) antennae. They are often easy to find amongst the Downy Birch here.

8.002 Feathered Leaf-cutter (Incurvaria masculella) male in the garden on May 18th 05. A field observation.

7.012 Sandy Long-horn (Nematopogon schwarziellus) at North Dean wood on May 16th 05. A field observation.

7.015 Large Long-horn (Nematopogon swammerdamella), North Dean wood, Apr. 22nd 2011. Captured by day. Wingspan 21mm - the largest of the longhorn moths.

7.001 Yellow-barred Long-horn (Nemophora degeerella) female, North Dean wood, June 26th 06.

7.001 Yellow-barred Long-horn (Nemophora degeerella) male in the Rush Field at Hardcastle Crags on June 16th 2023. I didn't quite manage to capture all of its antennae in the photo!

7.001 Yellow-barred Long-horn (Nemophora degeerella) male, North Dean meadow, June 6th 05. 

7.006 Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella) case and larva, Long wood, June 2nd 2014. A field observation on oak. Taking in to account the size, shape and construction of the case and the sclerotized larval plates I strongly suspect it to be of this species.

7.006 Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella) female, North Dean wood, May 8th 05. A field observation on oak.

7.006 Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella) female, at Abel Cote wood, Hardcastle crags on May 12th 2023.

7.006 Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella) males, North Dean wood, May 23rd 06. The males, with their longer antennae are dancing in the warm spring sunshine around oaks. Presumably it's a visual display to attract females.

7.010 Meadow Long-horn (Cauchas rufimitrella) male, a field observation on Bramble at a canal-side field near West Vale, May 21st 2014. Easily mistaken for a fly (which I did) with long antennae, it has a forewing of around 5mm. This male has antennae twice the length of the forewing.

7.010 Meadow Long-horn (Cauchas rufimitrella) on its foodplant Garlic Mustard near the Calder at Milner Royd on May 16th 2020. Groups of up to a dozen here have been noted flying in the sunshine.

7.010 Meadow Long-horn (Cauchas rufimitrella) female at Tag meadow, Cromwell Bottom, June 6th 2019. A breezy day, this one was hanging on for dear life on an Ox-eye Daisy petal.