Leaf-mine: The larva starts mining near a leaf tip in early autumn. This early mine approximates to being linear but is very erratic in its course. In earl winter the the larva usually moves to anew leaf. This second mine usually takes the form of a compact but irregularly brownish blotch close to or often within the area of purplish discoloration of the dying leaf tip. Occasionally the larva does not change mines but extends the one made in autumn. Pupation takes place in a concealed place amongst debris or between closely applied leaves (Bland and Knill-Jones, 1988).

Egg generally at the underside of the leaf tip. From September till the following spring a narrow meandering corridor is made. Then gradually the corridor widens to nearly the full width of the leaf. Generally the larvae make a new mine in early winter, obviously without the initial corridor. The mine in this stage is brown and situated close to (or within) the red coloured dying apical part of the leaf. Frass in large elongate dark spots. Pupation external (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Larva: The larva has brownish head, black prothoracic plates and a greyish white body with a greenish tinge (Bland and Knill-Jones, 1988).

The full grown larva is greyish green, with a dark brown head and a black prothoracic plate. Characteristic details of the prothoracic plate are discussed by Steuer (1980a). The larva is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Pupa: Described by Patocka (1999a), Patocka and Turcáni (2005a) (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths. The genitalia are not illustrated by the Lepidoptera Dissection Group (check for update).

Hosts in Britain:

Hosts elsewhere:

Time of year - larvae: September - May the following year (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Time of year - adults: Unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Banff, Bedfordshire, Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, Derbyshire, East Gloucestershire, East Suffolk, Elgin, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Herefordshire, Kincardine, Merionethshire, Monmouthshire, North Hampshire, North Somerset, Shropshire, South Aberdeen, South Wiltshire, Stafford, West Gloucestershire, West Kent, Westmorland and Worcestershire (NBN Gateway - N.B. includes Watsonian Vice Counties having publicly available records that fall within or overlap the vice county border at 10km resolution or better i.e. a record for a vice county may relate to an adjacent vice county - for included datasets see NBN Grid map below) and Northern Ireland (Karsholt and van Nieukerken in Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Karsholt and van Nieukerken in Fauna Europaea).

NBN Grid map: Note that not all datasets on the NBN Gateway may be available on the map below. If you are an NBN Gateway registered user you can request access for missing datasets via the link 'Open interactive map in new window' below.

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Russia - North, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine (Karsholt and van Nieukerken in Fauna Europaea).

NBN interactive distribution map(s) of known host species in Great Britain and Ireland and elsewhere:

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Unknown.