15.048 BF328 – Cowberry Leaf-miner – Phyllonorycter junoniella – (Zeller, 1846)
Adult Micro: CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species – Leaf-miner: CAT L – The leaf or a Photo required – 
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines 
– Rare / Uncommon / Scarce 
– Leaf-miner
– care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required. ID pointers: An attractively marked little moth. Typically orange-bronze coloured with a pair of diagonal white cross bands edged black and a pale white basal streak that is weakly edged.
Distribution: (Last record: 28 February 2025 at Combs Moss ) – Another restricted species to the moorlands of Derbyshire where Cowberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea grows. It is highly likely that this moth is under-recorded. There are records going back to the 70’s but recent records in Jan 25 and Feb 25 appear to be the first since that time.
General Comment: None Mine Period Additional: The larvae mine the leaves of Cowberry Forming a mine on the underside which will often occupy the whole leaf, causing it to become convex on the upper surface. Mines are typically found on smaller plants growing amongst heather.
Mine ID Difficulty: Not Recorded
Mine Type/s: Not Recorded
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: None.
*** Last updated on 10 November 2025 by TD ***
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Steve Orridge
Last Recorded General Area – Combs Moss
Selected Images: Bray Clough (January 2025) Christian Heintzen© / Combs Moss- Steve Orridge©
Image Gallery
Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 1971 - 1971) | Immatures: (between 1970 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
Distribution Map for Phyllonorycter junoniella
Found 11 records
↳ from 2026+
↳ 8 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 3 from Before 2020
↳ from 2026+
↳ 8 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 3 from Before 2020
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Bedrock Geology ** indirectly affects moth distribution by influencing the type of habitat and food plants available in an area. In turn, this may affect the types of moths that can thrive, or where they can most likely be found.
NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Phyllonorycter junoniella
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Note – the NBN Atlas datasets are listed in the map below and vary in their currency (uptodateness) – however,
the map does give a general indication of the moth's distribution across the UK.
Monthly Records By Year:
Phyllonorycter junoniella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year:
Phyllonorycter junoniella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Phyllonorycter junoniella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]
Shading shows moth presence between dates
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Recordings By Year: Phyllonorycter junoniella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Phyllonorycter junoniella
AGR: 100% | Total % Change: 100%
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Phyllonorycter junoniella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Phyllonorycter junoniella
Phyllonorycter junoniella
Flight Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's flight periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen in flight, from site observation records received between 2020-2026.
Mine Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Phyllonorycter junoniella
Phyllonorycter junoniella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Mine Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's mine periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen mining, from site observation records received between 2020-2026.
Records Behind the Map and Charts - Phyllonorycter junoniella – 11 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Recorder | Source | RecordKey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leygatehead & Middle Moor above Little Hayfield | SK08P | 11/04/2025 | 2 | Leaf-mine | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43978950 |
| Leygatehead & Middle Moor above Little Hayfield | SK08P | 11/04/2025 | 1 | Leaf-mine | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43978953 |
| Lightwood, Buxton | SK07T | 28/02/2025 | 4 | mine | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40328935 |
| Combs Moss | SK07N | 28/02/2025 | 2 | larva | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC46002170 |
| Chunal Moor | SK09K | 22/02/2025 | 1 | Larva | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40322238 |
| Chunal Moor | SK09L | 22/02/2025 | 2 | Larva | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40322239 |
| Bray Clough | SK09K | 15/01/2025 | 1 | Mine | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40053329 |
| Olwer Tor | SK28K | 12/09/2024 | 1 | Mine | Jack Oughton | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC39791147 |
| Whitesprings, Hall Dale, Darley Dale | SK26X | 31/05/1971 | 1 | Adult | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COZJ9 |
| Whitesprings, Hall Dale, Darley Dale | SK26X | 08/05/1971 | 1 | Larval Mine | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COZJ6 |
| nr Eyam Moor | SK27J | 17/05/1970 | 1 | Larvae | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COQI1 |