Friday 2 October 2020

Phyllonorycter joannisi (Le Marchand, 1936)

 Along the driveway to the house in Dene Park there are quite a few Norway Maples, Acer platanoides, and today on the underside of one of the leaves of one of the saplings I found a second generation typical smooth grey-ish tentiform mine of Phyllonorycter joannisi, the White-bodied Midget. This leaf miner used to be known as Phyllonorycter platanoidella (Joannis, 1920).

The mine may be smooth or there may be very many very weak folds in the tent surface. This example was on the underside and between major veins and also more or less in the centre of the leaf, as suggested is the general pattern, on the Bladmineerders website - but not necessarily backed up by photos on the Google search for images.

The timing is right for the "second" generation if mines, October. Pupation presumably occurs over winter leading to the first adults flying in May. These lay eggs leading to the "first" generation of mines occurring in July, and then the second group of adults flying in August.




Generally known as a southern species but has now moved as far north as Yorkshire and Lancashire.






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