Cottenham leaf mines

Instigated by the need for detective work needed to work out the origin of several species recorded in the garden trap this year I've started paying more attention to leaf mines around the village. This is something I had no prior interest in...but its incredibly rewarding. With the help of the fantastic http://www.leafmines.co.uk/ resource I've managed to locate  eleven species in a small area including many that I didn't know were present locally. I'm sure there is much more to find. 

The species that got me going on leaf mines this year was Phyllonorycter comparella. It didn't take too long to find some mines on a nearby Grey Poplar which could well be the source of my garden records this year:

Phyllonorycter comparella on Grey Poplar

Also on the same Grey Poplar was the very distinctive mines of Phyllocnistis xenia; a species I also recorded in the garden trap for the first time this year:

Phyllocnistis xenia on Grey Poplar

In late spring mines of the rare Phyllonorycter pastorella were readily found on willow:

Phyllonorycter pastorella on willow

Found in many places in the village were the mines of Stigmella aceris on Field Maple:

Stigmella aceris on Field Maple

A stand of young Hornbeam supported two species, neither of which I have (knowingly) trapped. These included Stigmella microtherella:

Stigmella microtherella on Hornbeam

While Phyllonorycter esperella were very common:

Phyllonorycter esperella on Hornbeam

I've struggled to identify many mines on Oak - there are many species to choose from, but I worked out two new species for me:

Phyllonorycter messaniella on Oak

Stigmella basiguttella on Oak

Somewhat easier to work out is the widespread Stigmella aurella on Bramble:

Stigmella aurella on Bramble

Another Stigmella species was perpygmaeella which mines Hawthorn - I only found one mine of this:

Stigmella perpygmaeella on Hawthorn

While on Alder were some Stigmella stettinensis:

Stigmella stettinensis on Alder

Some of the best leaf mines I found were actually away from Cottenham while surveying a beech woodland in Norfolk this autumn. Some of the 'green island' mines on Stigmella tityrella are stunning: