Food Plant: On a variety of rosaceous shrubs, particularly Crataegus (Hawthorn) , Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn) and Mespilus germanica (Medlar).

Egg: at the bottom of the leaf blade, in the midrib, close to the attachment of the petiole.

Mine: May-June

Notes: After oviposition the female bites into the midrib which causes the leaf to fold downwards at about 90°. The leaves turn brown and fall to the ground. The larva mines the midrib and makes side galleries into the leaf blade. The mines are shown in increasing detail - note that several larvae may mine a leaf. In Pyrus sp. the mines turn black (Carina van Steenwinkel pers.comm.). The larva pupates in the ground and emerges next spring. A pest of fruit trees in Europe, though not in Britain. Found from Durham southwards, but absent in Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Mine shown on Pyrus communis

Data: 26.vi.2015 ex mine 16.vi.2015, Mol, (Antwerpen), Belgium

Image:© Carina van Steenwinkel