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Overwintering larvae and pupae: a) Eriocraniidae: |
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The Eriocraniidae are
considered difficult species to rear as the time between larva leaving its
mine, burrowing into the soil, then emerging next season is very long. Traditional methods include half filling a pot with soil, covering it with nylon and burying it in the garden until next season. Some rain protection is provided by polythene. |
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Ben Smart has had some
success with a variation on this method. He says:
'I filled a plant pot one
third with soil, then filled a pop sock with an equal amount of soil.
The sock was then lowered into the pot so the sock was the only thing
separating the two layers of soil (to stop larvae escaping and intruders from entering).
I placed the mines on top
of the soil in the pop sock and then tied a knot in the sock (see top
photo opposite) and left them outside in semi-shade (see bottom photo
opposite) between garage and shed.
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In Early March I untied
the sock and rolled it over the side of the pot. I taped a strip of card
to the side of the pot to raise the edges and covered the lot with
another popsock (plenty of these are essential!). (see photo opposite).
I brought the pots into the shed and hoped for the best! So far E.sangii and E.semipurpurella have emerged (see photos below)
Essential points include
correct id of the mines and making sure that only mines of one species
go into each pot. I marked each pot with different coloured elastic
bands and recorded which was which. This saves a lot of hard work when
the adults emerge as they are very difficult to differentiate.
I used a variety of
flowerpots - different sizes, partly to help differentiate between
species. It's too early yet to say whether one size was more successful
than another. The ones shown are about 12cm diameter. This housed the
sangii and has so far produced two adults.'
The moths which have emerged are pictured below:
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| Eriocrania sangii |
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Eriocrania semipurpurella
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| Images:© Ben Smart | |
| a) Phyllonorycters: | |
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Rob Edmunds has had a high
success rate with rearing Phyllonorycter species over the winter by a very
simple method. The usual way to achieve this is by placing the mined leaves in a popsock or tights and then tying it outside for the winter. Rob merely placed the mined leaves (or pupae) in a specimen container (or polythene bag) in a slightly open drawer in a cool (unheated) greenhouse. In March he brought the containers inside for emergence. It is important to carefully label the containers either with a piece of paper, written on in pencil, or using a garden plant label. The photo opposite shows over wintered P.platani, with an exuvia and pupa on the floor of the specimen container, along with a mined leaf. The moth is seen at the top of the container. Image:© Rob Edmunds |
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Newsletter of leafmines.co.uk April 2005 |
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