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Leaf-miner: The mine usually starts in the lower part of the leaf and then broadens out towards the tip. The mine appears whitish on plants growing in the shade (and are very obvious as pale patches on usually the larger leaved examples of the plant), but more grey or brown in brighter habitats. The mine is lined with silk strands (British leafminers).

The mine begins as a short irregular corridor, usually following the midrib, widening into an irregular blotch. Some silk is deposited in the mine, causing it to contract a bit. Most frass is ejected through an opening near the begin of the mine; some is trapped in spinning under the leaf. The larva often moves to a new mine. Pupation within the mine in a folded leaf margin or in a leaf fold (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).

The larva is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

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

Within a white silk cocoon, beneath a turned down leaf edge (British leafminers). The pupa is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

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

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Urticaceae
Parietaria				UKMoths
Parietaria	judaica	Pellitory-of-the-wall		British leafminers

Hosts elsewhere:

Urticaceae
Parietaria	judaica	Pellitory-of-the-wall		Belgian Lepidoptera
Parietaria	judaica	Pellitory-of-the-wall		Bladmineerders van Europa
Parietaria	officinalis	Eastern Pellitory-of-the-wall		Bladmineerders van Europa
Parietaria	pensylvanica			Bladmineerders van Europa
Pilea	pumila			Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Late May -June, October-January (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: After the first discovery of a moth in Dorset in 2001, Rich Austin and Peter Costen discovered colonies in Guernsey, Channel Is. in 2002. It is now found in southern coastal regions of the UK (British leafminers). East Cornwall (NBN Atlas).

See also British leafminers distribution map.

Following Rich Austin's and Peter Costen's discovery of this moth in Guernsey as a miner of Pellitory-of-the-wall (Parietaria  judaica), it has now been discovered in two locations in Cornwall by David Pearman and Phil Sterling (see also http://www.wildguideuk.com/travel_notes/travel_notes_07_17.html) and also in Dorset by Mark Parsons (Parsons, M (2004), Cosmopterix pulchrimella (Lep.Cosmopterigidae), a new resident at West Bay, Bridport, Dorset, Ent Gaz, 55, 72).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Albania, Azores, Canary Is., Corsica, Crete, Croatia, French mainland, Greek mainland, Italian mainland, Madeira, Malta, Portuguese mainland, Sardinia, Sicily, Spanish mainland and Switzerland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Belgian Lepidoptera
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea
NBN Atlas
NHM UK Checklist
UKMoths