Leaf-miner: The initial gallery has frass in an interupted black line (British
usually at the upperside of the leaf. The mine is a long, strongly
vein-determined corridor. In the first part the frass lies in a
rather narrow, often interrupted central line; further on the frass
line is broader and more diffuse. Frequently more than one mine
in a leaf (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Larva: The larvae of moths have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles (see video of a gracillarid larva feeding), six thoracic legs and abdominal legs (see examples).
Yellow; described by Gustafsson and van Nieukerken (1990a)
(Bladmineerders van Europa).
Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).
The adult is illustrated in UKMoths.
The genitalia are not illustrated by the Dissection Group (check for update).
Hosts in Great Britain & Ireland:
of year - larvae: September-November (British
of year - adults: Currently unknown.
in Great Britain & Ireland: Discovered in Scotland in 1990.
It occurs at least as low as 50m in damp, shady riparian Birch and
Alder woodland in Sutherland (British
See also British
leafminers distribution map.
NBN Grid Map:
Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Czech Republic,
Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norwegian
mainland, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland (Karsholt and
van Nieukerken in Fauna Europaea).
NBN Interactive Grid Maps of known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: