These are the first pictures of the adult Ectoedemia hannoverlla, which has emerged from the Black Poplar mines from Suffolk this April.

Jon Clifton, Tony Prichard and Neil Sherman tried a variety of ways of rearing the adults from mines, hoping for some success. Jon Clifton had the first emergence in mines which had been left indoors, in just a pot, with no moss. The ones left outside, or with moss, have yet to emerge.

Neil Sherman has had remarkable breeding success, with a group considered difficult to rear, with 75% of the mines successfully emerging. His technique was to put his leaves in a sealed plastic container with a deep layer of moss in the bottom. He then left it in his shed for the winter. Once he heard Jon Clifton had one hatch out, he brought them indoors and they began to emerge after about 2 weeks. As he said I 'didn't really do anything special!'

Perhaps this simple technique will be successful with other Ectoedemias?

Lepidopterous miners of Holm Oak - further records?

Andy Mitchell has discovered lepidopterous mines on Holm Oaks (Quercus ilex) in both Weybridge and Ham, Surrey.

He is breeding these through now in order to determine the species.

April 2004