This morning I noticed that one of the Cowberry leaves, mined by a Phyllonorycter junoniella larva, had fallen from the plant.
Opening the mine revealed a yellow pupa which wriggled when disturbed.
The adults are usually on the wing in June and July so I anticipate a wait of at least a fortnight before this one emerges.
Ah......so that's what the moth pupa looks like.
ReplyDeleteAll I've reared from my lot is one parasitic wasp! I'm going to have to go back and collect a load more. I can't believe out of about ten mines none are any good!
Good luck with the hunt, Charlie.
ReplyDeleteI've just looked for my presumed Neglected Rustic larva but it has seemingly vanished from the container!
It was/is living on a small potted heather so I am hoping that it is still hiding in there somewhere.
The photo is on my 11th April post. What do you think?
The junoniella hunt resumes this morning - if the mines are so abundant then at least a few adults must survive being stung - you'd think.
ReplyDeleteYour larva looks the same as mine did until it moulted and went brown.Best to get it to the final instar and compare it with the photos in the link on my blog.They have remarkably detailed features seen up close and the arrangement of the stemmata and head pattern on mine is spot on for X. castanea.