Food Plant: Quercus (Oak), Carpinus (Hornbeam), Fagus (Beech), Castanea (Sweet Chestnut). Ostrya carpinfolia (Hop-hornbeam), Nothofagus obliqua (Roble Beech), occasionally Tilia (Lime) or Betula papyrifera (Paper Birch)

Mine: March - April, July, October

Notes: The mine is oval on Q. ilex (Holm Oak), and similar to P. quercifoliella on deciduous oaks. It is between adjacent veins on beech and hornbeam.The puparium is held loosely in a flimsy cocoon and the frass edging the cocoon is in a distinct U or V shape. A mine on Hornbeam. An adult was reared to confirm the identification and separate the mine from P. tenerella. This can also be done by inspecting the cocoon or the pupal morphology. Mines found in autumn with exuviae will also belong to this species, which overwinters as an adult.

Data: 11.x.2023, Oxford University Botanic Gardens, Oxfordshire, VC23

Image:© Will Langdon