18th July 2025

I do rather like Greater Burdock (Arctium lappa). It's a big, bold plant with attitude. The insects are loving it at the moment. As the flowers fade and the seed heads dry, they become rather a nuisance to the casual passer-by. The burs cling to any fur or fabric and the seed heads break off easily to be transported to pastures new. Seed dispersal in action. Dog owners will be well aware!

This detail from the photo above shows a leaf mine. This has been made by the larva of a small leaf-mining fly or moth several species of which use Burdock as a host. When the egg hatches, the larva burrows into the leaf and proceeds to eat the plant tissue between the upper and lower surfaces. As the larva grows, the mine gets wider. Eventually the larva pupates and eventually emerges as the adult insect.