Food Plant: Cystisus scoparius (Broom)

Egg: on branch

Mine: September-May

Notes: A conspicuous egg, which indicates this species and not the similar looking mine created by Leucoptera spartifoliella, (but Richards (2022) found that egg cases remained attached in 50% of the mines of Leucoptera spartifoliella examined). A long black straight gallery is formed, which passes down the twig initially (which enables distinction with the similar mine of Leucoptera spartifoliella). The mine then changes direction and the spaces between the ridges stain black as the mine fills them. The branches may appear stained black as the mines develop. The larva is yellow.

National Status: Local

Bradley No: 46

Data: 18.ix.2010, Maulden Wood, Beds., VC30 Andy Banthorpe, David Manning

Image:© Andy Banthorpe

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