Identification

Adult identifiable from good quality photographs. Possible confusion with other Eriocrania species.

Leafmine impossible to conclusivley identify without checking the caterpillar or rearing to adult.

Recording method

Flies in sunshine.

Life cycle

Mines: May-June.  Adults fly April-May.

Larval foodplant

Birch species.

Habitat

Birch woodland and scrub.

History

The first definite record for Dumfries & Galloway was of leaf-mines found on Betula in Hannaston Wood SSSI, Kirkcudbrightshire, on 22nd June 1996 during a Scottish Entomologists’ gathering.  The first Dumfriesshire record was found at an unknown site by an unknown person sometime before 2010 (Scottish micro-moth data).