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Leaf-miner: The mine is greater than 16 mm long, no creases in lower epidermis and a central green patch on upper side (British leafminers).

A large, lower-surface tentiform mine, c. 20 mm long, often not far from the leaf base. The lower epidermis seems smooth to the naked eye, but with a lens many fine length folds are visible. Frass as a black mass in a corner of the mine. Before ecdysis the pupa works itself hafway out of the mine; unlike the other western European oak Phyllonorycter, that have the exuvium pale olive or reddish brown, in roboris it is dark, blackish (Emmet, 1975b) (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 is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa. The cremaster is illustrated in British leafminers.

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

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Fagaceae
Quercus				British leafminers
Quercus				UKMoths
Quercus				Pitkin & Plant
Quercus	petraea	Sessile Oak		Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Fagaceae
Quercus				Belgian Lepidoptera
Quercus	cerris	Turkey Oak		Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus	dalechampii			Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus	faginea			Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus	frainetto			Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus	macrocarpa			Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus	pedunculiflora			Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus	petraea	Sessile Oak		Belgian Lepidoptera
Quercus	petraea	Sessile Oak		Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus	polycarpa			Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus	pubescens	Downy Oak		Belgian Lepidoptera
Quercus	pubescens	Downy Oak		Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus	robur	Pedunculate Oak		Belgian Lepidoptera
Quercus	robur	Pedunculate Oak		Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus	x turneri			Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: July - August (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: The adults fly in June in a single generation (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Found in mature oak woodland, and is distributed though uncommonly, throughout England, Wales and Ireland (UKMoths) including Breconshire, North Northumberland, Denbighshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, Durham, East Cornwall, East Norfolk, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Nottinghamshire, Pembrokeshire, Shropshire, South Devon, South Northumberland, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, West Gloucester and Worcestershire (NBN Atlas).

See also British leafminers distribution map.

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Russia - Central, East, Northwest and South, Sicily, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Ukraine. Also recorded in Near East (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: