Triangle Plume (Platyptilia gonodactyla) larva and pupae

Having located a large stand of Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) earlier in the year, I went back this weekend lo look for the early stages of the Triangle Plume moth. The larvae feed within the seedhead of Coltsfoot at this time of year and I managed to find one larva and three pupae.

As I was hoping to find evidence of parasitism by the braconid Microgaster alebion I will have to go back and look for some more larvae, the parasitoid would not have allowed its host to reach the pupal stage.

Timothy Tortix larva

I was out at the Denso Marston Nature Reserve looking for caterpillars on the various grasses.

Although my target species were the leaf-mining members of the Elachista family I was still pleased to find this tortrix larva hiding in spun-together blades of grass on the banks of The River Aire.

I suspect that it is the polyphagous Aphelia paleana but will rear it through to check.

Pteromalus semotus

This Pteromalus semotus has emerged from the larval web of White Satin Moth (Leucoma salicis) found at Hull, VC61. It is actually a hyperparasitoid, the primary parasitoid of the moth being the braconid Cotesia melanoscela.

Two other chalcids emerged from the web, a little blue one (as yet unidentified) and a Eurytomidae (probably Eurytoma).

White Satin Moth stowaways

This little feller is an over-wintering caterpillar of the White Satin Moth (Leucoma salicis). I found a couple of these amongst a batch of braconid parasitoid pupal cases collected from the poplar trees in Queen's Gardens, Hull. I have never seen the adult of this species even though it seems to be expanding its range across the county.

I am grateful to Dean's Daily Diary for alerting me to the fact that Colt's-foot (Tussilago farfara)is beginning to flower.
This was one of several found at Timble Ings yesterday. I had a quick look for the feeding signs of Triangle Plume larvae but these are probably still in hibernation.

Dotted Border

My second moth of the year is a bit of a cheat, it being this Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria) that has emerged from a caterpillar collected last year at Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits.

My first moth was (appropriately enough) an Early Moth (Theria primaria) attracted to the lighted window of Hollins Hall Hotel on 23rd January 2012.

Parasitic Hymenoptera

This Cryptine Ichneumon is Charitopes carri (Roman) and was one of several seen exploring the crevices of a Sycamore trunk during the last week of October.
It will have been looking to oviposit into the cocoons of lacewing larvae.
There are some excellent parasitoid photographs on Charlie Streets's Moths of Calderdale site.

Pnigalio mediterraneus

After reading an article in British Wildlife entitled "The Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner and its parasitoids", I decided to investigate what was happening on my own tree.
Preliminary results have led me to believe that I have a healthy population of Cameraria ohridella with assosciated populations of the chalcid parasitoids Sympiesis sericeicornis and Pnigalio mediterraneus.
The insect in the photograph is a female Pnigalio mediterraneus.