The Hucking Estate

Interesting to see the number of Hornbeam within the older woods, and the very few young Hornbeams in the newer plantings.

Phyllonorycter

On the Hornbeams in the older (ASN?) Woods there seems to be a lot of "caterpillar" style damage in the interior of the woods, leaving very tattered leaves indeed. There was also Phyllonorycter esperella on the upperside of the leaves, both remnant signs of the first generation of mines, and newer mines, some starting to bend the leaves up as they tighten (by the way, how physically DO they tighten?). Some of these appeared to have already left their mines. On the underside of the leaves could be seen long narrow mines, strongly narrowed by the contraction of the mines, with clear single creases running along their mid-lines, possibly Phyllonorycter tenerella. There might have been some Phyllonorycter messaniella mines as well.

Stigmella

There were a few Stigmella mines, probably caused by Stigmella microtheriella from their tendency to follow the leaf veins, but Stigmella floslactella may well have been there as well. One mine seemed particularly broader, a feature I believe more associated with Stigmella carpinella. Again, no signs of the hoped for Bucculatrix, Coleophora, Paracrania or Parornix style mines on this site so far.

Aceria

I did find the apparently common gall mites, Aceria tenella, that live in colonies within hairy "spots", each one in one of the leaf axils. Here is a close up showing the reddish-brown discolouration of the hairs induced by the mite in the axil below the midrib - compare this with the relatively tiny clump of whitish hairs in the normal leaf axil above the midrib just to the right. It is also worth noting the very long whitish hairs of the plant lying along the midrib - what on earth can they be for?