Status
Morley's Final Catalogue: In the utmost profusion from 6 April to 11 May, especially on 25 April 1932 when it seemed to be sitting on every bush in Bentley Woods; Barham, Coddenham, &c. (Morley); Tuddenham and Brandon (Warren).
Recent Status: The species is recorded in Suffolk.
Life Style: A single brooded species flying during April and early May. The larvae mine Betula during May and June.
Identification: The adult Eriocrania species are individually variable. Genitalia dissection is required to separate E. sangii, E. semipurpurella, Paracrania chrysolepidella, E. unimaculella and E. cicatricella.
E. salopiella has a beige or ochre head and thorax.
E. sparrmannella is deep purple with the golden spots forming transverse fasciae.
E. sangii has slightly larger spots basal of the tornal spot and a denser set of smaller spots beyond and large spots on the dorsum..
E. cicatricella has larger spots arranged longitudinally and often elongate.
Paracrania chrysolepidella has tornal spot absent or indistinct. Thorax is golden fuscous.
E. semipurpurella is a poorly marked species with a golden tornal spot.
E. unimaculella is a poorly marked species with a large silver white tornal spot.
https://mothdissection.co.uk/species.php?ABH=2.0060
The larval mines can be separated to some extent.
Paracrania chrysolepidella feeds on Carpinus and Corylus. All others on Betula.
E. salopiella and E. sparrmannella mines start away from the leaf edge. There are slight differences in the larval colouring.
E. cicatricella mines start at the leaf edge with more than one larvae per mine (not per leaf) with translucent white head and thorax.
E. sangii mine starts at the leaf edge. The larva is grey with a brown head.
E. semipurpurella mine starts at the edge of a leaf and the early instar larvae have a black head with a dark spot beyond. Later instar larvae with a brown head are difficult to separate from E. unimaculella which has a similar mine.
http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/E.cicatricella.htmVerification Grade Comment: Mine: Reared or larval morphology  | Determination by Genitalia Examination Required | |
| Mine: Moth needs to be reared and, in some cases, possibly dissected. | |
Recorded in 8 (14%) of 58 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 2009.
Last Recorded in 2021. |