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Identification history
| unidentified leaf miner | 9 Oct 2025 | WendyEM | ||
| unidentified immature leaf mining insect | 21 Sep 2025 | donhe | ||
| Lepidoptera unclassified IMMATURE | 20 Sep 2025 | ibaird | ||
| Phyllonorycter messaniella | 19 Sep 2025 | Hejor1 |
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User's notes
All have a blister with a "tail" like this photo. I couldnt find any intact blisters with animal inside so this is a complete guess.
6 comments
WendyEM
wrote:
20 Sep 2025
I am unsure. Various European/UK sources (origin of Phyllonorycter messaniella) don't show the tail on the mine see
https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gracillarioidea/gracillariidae/lithocolletinae/phyllonorycter/phyllonorycter-messaniella/
https://www.norfolkmoths.co.uk/micros.php?bf=3210
https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/phyllonorycter-messaniella/
Phyllonorycter messaniella certainly does occur in Melbourne
https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gracillarioidea/gracillariidae/lithocolletinae/phyllonorycter/phyllonorycter-messaniella/
https://www.norfolkmoths.co.uk/micros.php?bf=3210
https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/phyllonorycter-messaniella/
Phyllonorycter messaniella certainly does occur in Melbourne
WendyEM
wrote:
20 Sep 2025
This is a set of Aus. leaf miners from iNat. It seems to have some stray species that don't belong
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6744&project_id=119514&verifiable=any&view=species
Your mines MIGHT be Acrocercops sp
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6744&project_id=119514&verifiable=any&view=species
Your mines MIGHT be Acrocercops sp
WendyEM
wrote:
20 Sep 2025
It may not be Lepidoptera see
https://antomology.wordpress.com/2021/09/22/what-is-a-leaf-miner/
https://antomology.wordpress.com/2021/09/22/what-is-a-leaf-miner/
ibaird
wrote:
21 Sep 2025
Don, would you like to suggest how we classify this taxonomically speaking.
WendyEM
wrote:
21 Sep 2025
There is a category for "unidentified insect gall" within 'insect', but it is at a higher classification level than we can do. Maybe you could ask about "unidentified leaf mine" being added ?
ibaird
wrote:
22 Sep 2025
Yes, maybe Acrocercops (genus) based on
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6744&project_id=119514&verifiable=any&view=species
and photos here:-
https://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/grac/chionosema.html
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6744&project_id=119514&verifiable=any&view=species
and photos here:-
https://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/grac/chionosema.html
Sighting information
- 16 - 100 Abundance
- Hejor1 Recorded by
-
Collections
Hejor1 NatureMapr Unidentified Insect Leaf Miners Insects
Additional information
- Less than 5mm Animal size
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes