Horse-chestnut leaf miner

B0jangles

I've noticed this new invasive species spreading southwards from Shankill Co. Dublin, where I saw some seriously infested trees a couple of years ago, to Bray - where I just now saw some infected trees that I know were clear last year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse-chestnut_leaf_miner
http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/horse-chestnut-leaf-miner-2/

This is a picture of a leaf from a tree in my garden:

Full of larvae, and I checked it myself last year and it was fine

So check your horse chestnut trees everyone! I'm going to try destroying the leaf litter this year and see if that slows or even stops the problem, if only very locally.

magicbastarder

it's a leaf miner 'native' to the horse chestnut tree; it seems a little odd to want a non-native tree but not its associated fauna. assuming it doesn't affect any other plants...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I have had leaf miner in many of my Horse Chestnuts for years. They, unlike the tree, are native and the trees don't suffer much from it . There is a type of leaf miner working it's way through Europe that is not native to Ireland but the damage is still restricted to a bit of early leaf drop. It's no big threat.

B0jangles

When I first came across the infestation in Shankill a couple of years ago, I sent a set of pictures to Moths Ireland and their representative thought they were the new non-native species and asked me to make an official report of the sighting, so I'm only going by what I was told by someone who I assume is quite well-informed about moth species in this country. Since it is obviously spreading quite quickly, I thought it might be of interest to tell people here to keep an eye out for signs of it.

Apparently it weakens the tree and damages the leaves. Damage can be lessened by clearing away leaf litter in the autumn/winter so as to destroy the overwintering pupae, so it's not particularly difficult to do something to control it on a local level. Not a threat like Dutch Elm thankfully, but one I though worth mentioning in a forum dedicated to the discussion of nature & birdwatching.

Half-cocked

From Mothsireland website dated Aug 2014:

Cameraria ohridella was first confirmed in Ireland in south Dublin during 2013. In recent weeks, (June & July 2014) as well as throughout Dublin, mines and adults have been noticed in Belfast

B0jangles

Yeah, 3 years since it was first sighted and its already as far north as Belfast and south to at least Bray, so its moving fast

recedite

magicbastarder wrote: »

.. assuming it doesn't affect any other plants...

According to the wiki link it can also eat sycamore and certain other maples.

It seems odd that this moth was unknown outside of Greece and the Balkans prior to the 1980's, but then suddenly went on the move.
The pupae are fully hardy in the winter conditions of northern Europe apparently.