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Leaf miner: Initially in short gallery becoming a blotch in the leaf. Later in up to three cones at the edge of the leaf (UKMoths).

The mines and cones are the same as for Caloptilia alchimiella and the moth needs to be bred out to confirm identity (British leafminers).

Mine indistinguishable from those of Caloptilia alchimiella (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Larva: The larvae of moths have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles (see video of a gracillarid larva feeding), six thoracic legs and abdominal legs (see examples).

Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).

The pupa forms in a cocoon under a turned over leaf edge (British leafminers).

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Adult of Caloptilia robustella Image: © Trevor & Dilys Pendleton (Eakring Birds)

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Fagaceae
Castanea	sativa	Sweet Chestnut		UKMoths
Fagus				UKMoths
Quercus				British leafminers
Quercus				Pitkin & Plant
Quercus				UKMoths

Hosts elsewhere:

Fagaceae
Fagus				Belgian Lepidoptera
Fagus	sylvatica	Beech		Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus				Belgian Lepidoptera
Quercus	robur			Belgian Lepidoptera
Quercus	robur			Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: May - July, September - October (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: A number of generations, any time between April and November (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Hampshire (Fleet) (British leafminers), Bedford (Studham) (UKMoths); Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, East Cornwall, East Kent, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, East Sussex, Glamorgan, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Isle of Wight, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Monmouthshire, North Devon, North Essex, North Hampshire, North Somerset, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, South Aberdeenshire, South Devon, South Hampshire, South Lancashire, South Wiltshire, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Gloucestershire, West Norfolk, West Suffolk and Worcestershire (NBN Atlas). See also British leafminers distribution map.

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Fauna Europaea and National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Balearic Is., Belgium, Canary Is., Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Romania, Russia - Central, Sardinia, Sicily, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: