4.1 BF35

Ectoedemia minimella

(Zetterstedt, 1839)

[Synonyms: mediofasciella, woolhopiella]

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Wingspan 5-6 mm.

A relatively local species occurring in the south and west of England and parts of Scotland. It also occurs in south-west Ireland.

The larvae feed on birch (Betula) and hazel (Corylus avellana). The mine begins as a contorted gallery, when the young larva can be seen to have dark plates on each segment. These plates are later lost and the gallery becomes a blotch with scattered frass.

The adult moths are very similar to E. occultella, being blackish with whitish fascia and eyecaps.

There is one generation, with moths in May and June and larval mines from July to September.

Leafmine (British Leaf Mining Fauna)
Leafmine (De bladmineerders van Nederland)