2025 – Nora Boyle

24 April 2025 -Kings Wood

1. Micro moth leaf miner Stigmella aurella, Kings Wood
2. Male Green veined white, Kings Wood.
3. Gall on Oak, Kings Wood (awaiting an ID).
4. Growth on bark of tree, Kings Wood
5. Bark of Sweet Chestnut, Kings Wood.
6 . Bluebells, Kings Wood.

  1. Micro moth leaf miner Stigmella aurella. Apparently found at any time of the year since generations overlap. Foodplants are Bramble and Avens- Identified from a book called Micro -moth Field Tips by Ben Smart written as a guide to finding the early stages of micro moths in Lancashire and Cheshire.
  2. Male Green veined white
  3. Gall on Oak -identity not confirmed-sent a copy to Ian and Tom for possible id.
  4. Bulge emerging from bark of tree
  5. Bark of Sweet Chestnut
  6. . Bluebells.

23 April 2025 – Potteric Carr

A-view-from-Decoy-Hide
Hawthorne-Blossom
Cowslips

Following a meeting in the site cafe of the Archive sub-committee (Colin, Les & Nora) and the preliminary viewing of the Ben Burrell archives, we had a short visit to the Decoy hide to inspect the changes that YWT have made over winter to the somewhat neglected area.

Book Review

Micro-moth Field Tips

Micro-moth Field Tips is a guide to finding early stages of micro moths in Lancashire and Cheshire by Ben Smart published by the Lancashire and Cheshire Fauna Society. Whilst the book focuses on moths found in Lancashire and Cheshire the tips given are of use to people in other localities who are interested in the early stages of microlepidoptera.

The book covers rearing of micro-moths from the early stages, the variability of micro -moth larvae from selected families and other lepidopterous and non-lepidopterous larvae and illustrates common larval feeding methods. The rest of the book is a chronological guide from January to December, covering 10 species typically found on Field Trips for each month.

Each micro-moth is allocated a page which briefly describes the food
plant, life cycle and distribution accompanied by clear descriptions of what and where to look for signs of the moth. The text is accompanied by a series of photos showing the larva in or on the food plant, in some instances exit holes, the larva, and the adult.

On the front cover is one of the common miners of oak leaves Acrocercops brongniardella which makes upper surface galleries which coalesce into a blotch, often covering a large part of the leaf.

Miner of oak leaves - Acrocercops brongniardella


Nora Boyle