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Tuesday 19 May 2015

Elachista mines in Tufted Hair-grass

Elachsta adscitella, Uffmoor Wood.


     At the beginning of April I collected a few occupied mines in Tufted Hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) from Uffmoor Wood, hoping for Elachista bisulcella, which I have not seen. Some mines had yellowish larvae which were Elachista humilis and some had darker, greenish grey larvae which only produced Elachista adscitella.

     Today I revisited the area where the food plant flourishes and found huge numbers of occupied mines, some E. humilis but mostly, what looks like E. adscitella again. I have collected several of these in the hope that there may also be E. bisulcella amongst them, only time will tell. I could easily have collected one hundred occupied mines, some single leaves having three larvae present.    Patrick Clement

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