What pest is doing this to my lemon tree saplings?

[justanotherneighinparadise]

It sticks the leaves together or forces them to fold over and when I prise them back open there seems to be a web or something that looks like a web. Any ideas?

The leaves are also getting eaten. The saplings live inside in a long pot on a sunny windowsill.

I’m in the UK by the way.

The web will be covering a pupa - could be the pupa of a moth or butterfly. I wouldn't worry about them.

I don't know what's eating the leaves. Snails and slugs go for citrus but they seem to eat the stems.

Tortrix moth caterpillars do this - but the small green larvae can usually be spotted when you peel the leaves open. No idea whether they go for citrus, though.

spider mites?

spider mites? I don't think their web has the strength to hold a leaf together in a folded over position. And the web is usually over the shoot tips rather than on the leaves.

It’s intriguing. I’ll have to try and take a photo the next time