|
6th April |
|
Drumboe woods to see if I could find some leaf mines. I did.
These pictures are all a result of an eagle-eyed observer noticing leaf mines on the bottom picture from March 22nd. Sun alternating with hail. |
|
Luzula sylvatica - Greater Woodrush - is very common in our wooded
areas. There are two flies that make long leaf mines in the leaves. The
following pictures show the long mines of an Agromyzid fly, possibly Cerodontha
silvatica. The mines are characterised by their long, straight
appearance, terminating in a puparium at the lower end. The puparium holds
the over-wintering pupa (see next section). Cerodontha silvatica was
first named in 1957 and was first recorded in England in 2003. Only a
handful of records have been made. If this proves to be Cerodontha
silvatica, then it will be the first recorded sighting in Ireland.
|
|
The pupa is orange, and can be seen in each of the following pictures. It is about 3mm long.
|
|
This picture shows the top end of the mine, where the whole story begins.
When these pupae hatch out, it will be possible to determine accurately which species it is and a record will be formally submitted. |
