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(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera)
by
Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds
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AESCULUS.
Horse-chesnuts. [Hippocastanaceae]
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Three
species of Aesculus are recorded in Britain. All are aliens
and include Horse-chestnut (A. hippocastanum).
Three British miners are recorded on Aesculus.
A key to the European miners recorded on
Aesculus is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa.
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 Horse-chestnut
Aesculus hippocastanum
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Key for the identification of the known mines of British
insects (Diptera and non-Diptera) recorded on
Aesculus
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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.
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.
The
pupa and whitish silk cocoon are illustrated in British
leafminers, UKMoths and the Encyclopedia
of Life. |
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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.
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Cameraria
ohridella Deschka & Dimic, 1986 [Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae]. |
1b > Leaf-miner: The larvae mine the leaves at first, then create small
feeding windows.
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.
The pupa and white ribbed cocoon are illustrated in British
leafminers. |
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Bucculatrix thoracella cocoon
Image: Rob Edmunds (British leafminers) |
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.
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Bucculatrix
thoracella (Thunberg, 1794) [Lepidoptera: Bucculatricidae]. |
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. |
Polyphagous. On numerous genera and species of plant families, but not yet
on Aesculus, in Britain. On numerous genera
and species of plant families including Aesculus elsewhere.
Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded from
the Channel Is.
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Cnephasia
incertana (Treitschke, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]. |
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