Key for the identification of the mines of British non-Diptera recorded on
Aesculus
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Note: The larvae of mining Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera may live in a corridor mine, a corridor-blotch mine, a blotch mine, a case, a rolled or folded leaf, a tentiform mine or sandwiched between two more or less circular leaf sections in later instars. Larva may pupate in a silk cocoon. The larva may have at least six legs (although they may be reduced or absent), a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles (see video of a gracillarid larva feeding). Larvae of Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera usually also have abdominal legs (see examples). Frass, if present, never in two rows. Unless feeding externally from within a case the larva usually vacates the mine by chewing an exit hole. Pupa with visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).
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1a >
Leaf-miner: The mine begins at a flat, oval, somewhat iridescent egg
shell at the upperside of the leaf. The
larva mines the leaves causing noticeable brown blotches, often
many to one leaf. There is however, a similar-looking fungus which
can cause confusion (UKMoths).
The
mine begins at a flat, oval, somewhat iridescent egg shell at the
upperside of the leaf. There starts an epidermal corridor of some
mm, that abruptly widens into an upper-surface blotch. The blotch
is elongate, often confined between by a pair of lateral veins;
its colour is cinnamon, with a darker centre. The frass is not granular,
like in Phyllonorycter species, but consists of a tarlike
substance covering the floor of the mine. The number of mines can
be as much as several tens per leaf. Pupation occurs within the
mine (Bladmineerders
van Europa). The
pupa and whitish silk cocoon are illustrated in British
leafminers, UKMoths and the Encyclopedia
of Life.
Recorded
on Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus, Aesculus
flava,
Aesculus hippocastanum
and Aesculus parviflora
in Britain and Acer pseudoplatanus, Aesculus californica,
Aesculus
glabra,
Aesculus hippocastanum,
Aesculus pavia and Aesculus sylvatica elsewhere. First
recorded in Britain in 2002 in south-west London in 2002. Widely
distributed in southern England and Wales where its range is expanding,
particularly on Aesculus hippocastanum.
Every leaf on a tree can be mined making it very easy to spot.
Widespread in continental Europe.
Cameraria
ohridella Deschka and Dimic, 1986 [Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae]
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1b >
Leaf-miner: The larvae mine the leaves at first, then create small
feeding windows (UKMoths).
Small,
full depth, hook-like corridor, usually in a vein axil, with a proportionally
large larval chamber. The remainder of the mine almost entirely
stuffed with frass. At the start if the mine an iridescent egg shell.
The larvae soon leave their mine and start living free on the leaf
(Bladmineerders
van Europa). The pupa and white ribbed cocoon are illustrated in British
leafminers.
Recorded
on Tilia, but not yet on Aesculus, in Britain
and Acer, Aesculus, Betula, Carpinus, Fagus, Sorbus and Tilia
elsewhere. Widely distributed in southern England. Widespread
in continental Europe.
Bucculatrix
thoracella (Thunberg, 1794) [Lepidoptera: Bucculatricidae]
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1c >
Leaf-miner: In the first instar the larva mines the leaves, forming short,
irregular, blotch-like mines, but in later instars it lives externally,
feeding in spun leaves and often twisting those of tender shoots. Larval head light-brown or yellowish brown, edged with black postero-laterally,
ocellar area blackish; prothoracic plate black edged with whitish
anteriorly; abdomen dull dark green; pinacula distinct, black,
sometimes brownish but with black bases to setae; anal plate large,
black (Bradley et al., 1973).
Small,
full depth mine without a definite shape; little frass. Some silk
is deposited in the mine. The larva soon leaves the mine and continues
feeding among spun leaves (Bladmineerders
van Europa).
Recorded
on numerous genera and species of plant families, but not yet
on Aesculus, in Britain. Recorded on numerous genera
and species of plant families including Aesculus elsewhere.
Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded from
the Channel Is.
Cnephasia
incertana (Treitschke, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]
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