Morley’s Final Catalogue: Doubtless very numerous everywhere on oak trunks. Rarely observed on Monks Soham windows in mid-May (Morley); on oaks at Tuddenham (Warren). Unfortunately identification of the species group was inadequate at Morley’s time so these records cannot be assigned to this species.
Recent Status: A common species in Suffolk.
Life Style: A double brooded species. The larvae mine deciduous Quercus leaves. They pupate in a reddish brown cocoon. This may be on the leaf during summer or the ground over winter.
Identification: The species is unicolorous a dark bronze brown with purple reflections at the termen. The head tuft is black with a paler face. The scape is white and the collar colour varies through white to dark brown. There are similar species. Genitalia dissection is required for identification. More Info The larval mine is a variously placed gallery from an ovum on the underside of a leaf. The summer gallery is shorter and more frass packed than the autumn gallery, both show the frass in a complete line. The larvae have a divided dark pro-thoracic plate distinguishing it from other similar oak feeding Nepticulidae. More Info
Verification Grade Comment: Second brood L. If larva present, otherwise unidentifiable
Determination by Genitalia Examination (gen. det.) Required
Mine: Either the leaf or a good photograph required
Recorded in 51 (88%) of 58 10k Squares. First Recorded in 2000. Last Recorded in 2023. Additional Stats