Yorkshire Status: Very common and widespread resident.

This is a very common spring species in oak woods where it can be seen flying on sunny mornings and also coming to light. It is probably present in every oak wood in the country. The larvae form brownish blotches on the edges of oak leaves from May onwards. The frass is in long threads and the mines could be mistaken for the beetle Orchestes pilosus. Other species which form blotch mines on oak have frass in small grains. The moth is marked greenish gold with scattered purplish spots, and flies later than most of the other species in this genus. The antennae are two-thirds the length of the forewing; in contrast the other species have antennae which are no more than half the length. Although we think of this as an oak-feeding species, it can also use sweet chestnut.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Widespread and usually common among oak throughout all five vice-counties.

Verification Grade Comment: Potential confusion with weevil mines.

Recorded in 151 (76%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1883.
Last Recorded in 2024.
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