Food Plant: Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Cowberry)

Mine: Three year cycle : summer-late autumn; March-May, September-October; April-May (making three cases - one each year). In Europe only two cases are made (Beavan & Heckford, 2016)

Notes: A complex life cycle with the larvae intially mining the leaves (as shown), before forming a small case in the autumn of the year (In Europe this occurs in the second year). The final case is 6-8mm long and the feeding signs are very visible with the larva being able to leave its case and enter the leaf to feed.

Data: 13.iv.2014,Kylintra Wood, Grantown-on-Spey, Moray, VC95

Image:© Stella Beavan & Bob Heckford