20: ARGYRESTHIIDAE, 21: LYONETIIDAE, 22: PRAYDIDAE

20.005 Triple-barred Tip Moth (Argyresthia trifasciata) in my garden at Skircoat Green, May 8th 2011. Captured in the early morning. My first record was also in the garden on June 23rd 06 where individuals have been seen a handful of times since.

20.006 Juniper Tip Moth (Argyresthia dilectella) in my garden at Skircoat Green, July 14th 2011. Captured by day.

20.007 Cypress Tip Moth netted in my garden at Skircoat Green at dusk on June 25th 2020.

20.007 Cypress Tip Moth to MV light at Mirey Wall farm near Sowerby on June 24th 2022.

20.011 Gold W (Argyresthia brockeella), North Dean meadow, June 15th 06. A field observation.

20.012 Brassy Y (Argyresthia goedartella), North Dean wood, July 10th 06. A field observation on birch just as the sun came out to illuminate the moth. A commonly seen species.

20.016 Speckled Tip Moth (Argyresthia retinella) captured by day along the top of North Dean wood on July 2nd 09.

20.019 Apple Fruit Moth (Argyresthia conjugella) at Norland Bilberry Slopes, June 28th 2018. A field observation. Practically every Rowan tree on the site had several of these either resting on the leaves or were easily disturbed by gently tapping the branches.

20.020 Purple-washed Tip Moth (Argyresthia semifusca), a field observation at North Dean wood, Aug. 31st 06. The forewing has a delicate violet flush which just comes through in the photo. It was an unseasonably muggy night which manifested itself the following morning when I was followed by a mini swarm of extremely annoying flies.

20.021 Cherry Fruit Moth (Argyresthia pruniella) on Arthur Stott's plot, Skircoat Green allotments, July 16th 09. Captured by day.

20.022 Hawthorn Tip Moth (Argyresthia bonnetella), May 31st 2010. Reared from a larva spun up in Hawthorn near Sterne Mill bridge. 

21.001 Apple Leaf-miner (Lyonetia clerkella) mine and larva in cultivated apple at Hollin Hall orchard, Hardcastle Crags on Sept. 6th 2023.

The more noticeably segmented body of the larva helps identify this species.

21.001 Apple Leaf-miner (Lyonetia clerkella), cocoon and pupa on cultivated apple, Skircoat Green allotments, July 29th 2014. A distinctive, hammock like structure, the pupa and some of it's appendages are just visible inside.

21.001 Apple Leaf-miner (Lyonetia clerkella), July 31st 2014. Reared from the pupa pictured above. A tiny species with unusual, black "tails".

21.004 Laburnum Leaf-miner vacated mines in Laburnum at Elland Bridge, June 21st 2018.

21.004 Laburnum Leaf-miner mine and larva on Laburnum, Birdcage Hill, Aug. 29th 2018. The frass is arranged in arcs which separates it from the more common, dipterous mines. 

21.004 Laburnum Leaf-miner, Mar. 17th 2010. Reared from a mine found in Laburnum at Birdcage Hill the previous autumn. Considering I only had one larva to try and rear through over winter I was pleased with the outcome.

21.005 Broom Stem-miner (Leucoptera spartifoliella) mine in Broom on the Scout Rock Trail, Mytholmroyd, Apr. 29th 2024.

21.005 Broom Stem-miner (Leucoptera spartifoliella) larva and opened mine, details above.

21.005 Broom Stem-miner (Leucoptera spartifoliella), same larva as above.

21.005 Broom Stem-miner (Leucoptera spartifoliella) cocoons, details above. An easy way to find and identify the mines of this species is if you can spot the tiny, white cocoons the larvae pupate in.

21.005 Broom Stem-miner (Leucoptera spartifoliella) reared from the cocoons pictured above, May 23rd 2024.

21.005 Broom Stem-miner (Leucoptera spartifoliella), same moth as above with a more dorsal view showing those false eyes on the outer wings. Much better that a potential predator goes for those than the head end.

22.002 Ash Bud Moth (Prays fraxinella), feeding signs on Ash at Exley Bank wood, May 1st 2019. Note the withered shoot with a silk web and frass at the base.

22.002 Ash Bud Moth (Prays fraxinella), a close-up of the feeding signs described above. 

22.002 Ash Bud Moth (Prays fraxinella) at Bankhouse wood on June 26th 2018. A field observation.

22.003 Cryptic Ash-bud Moth (Prays ruficeps) at the Calder near Milner Royd Nature Reserve on May 16th 2020. A field observation on knapweed.

22.004 Olive Stowaway (Prays oleae), mine in an Olive tree, Newbank garden centre, West Vale, Apr. 19th 2012. Just one mine was found on half a dozen small trees. No doubt imported with the trees from warmer European climes. Not recorded in Britain until 2009.