Food Plant: Cytisus/ Sarothamnus (Broom), Genista tinctoria (Dyer's Greenweed).

Egg: On a stem. The egg is not filled with frass and soon drops off when the larva hatches (which distinguishes it from Trifurcula immundella, where the egg remains, but Richards (2022) found that egg cases remained attached in 50% of the mines examined).

Mine: September-May

Pupa: In a white silken cocoon attached to a stem (as shown).

Notes: A gallery in the bark of the food plant generally mining upwards, similar to that of Trifurcula immundella, which usually mines downwards.

National Status: Local

Bradley No: 256

Data: 03.v.2006, Cromwell Bottom LNR near Elland, West Yorks,VC63

Image:© Paul Talbot

References:
Richards NGJ (2022) Leucoptera spartifoliella (Hübner, [1813])(Lep: Lyonetiidae) egg cases visible at start of larval mines