15.075 – BF353  – Common Birch Leaf-miner – Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella – (Hübner, 1817) Adult Micro:  CAT 4 – Dissection required – Gen-Det-Reqd       Leaf-miner:  CAT L – The leaf or a Photo required – reared and possibly dissected       Larval Case:  C1 – Distinctive Species –       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce        purple – Leaf-miner
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Gracillariidae  >> Gracillariinae
Other Name/s: Red Birch Midget
ID Difficulty:  Red – difficult to identify – detailed examination required, often a Gen Det and/or specimen and quality photographs are required.
ID pointers: The adult moth has forewings that are golden-brown with characteristic shining white markings that are inwardly dark-edged.
Distribution:  (Last record: 4 November 2025 at Rowlee Bridge, Woodlands Valley )  –  Appears to be uncommon but probably under recorded – Leaf Mines are found and make up most of the records. a good contender for an adult was recorded by Christian Heintzen at Glossop, April 2025.
General Comment: Notes by Christian Heintzen on image dated 4/11/2025 – on Birch (Betula) > 11 mm long lower surface tentiform mine with 6 creases in lower epidermis (a) > frass in one corner of the mine (b)
Flight Period: May /  August –  Two generations May & August Mine Period:  July /  September /  October
Mine Period Additional: None.
Mine ID Difficulty:  Amber Mine Leaf – Care required in ID process as confusion with similar leaf mines. Quality photos of the mine required.
Mine Type/s:  Blotch
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: The larvae create a distinctive blotch mine on the underside of a birch leaf, often small but puckers the leaf noticeably. The mine is small (8-14 mm long) and causes the leaf to pucker noticeably, often resulting in several (can be up to 6) creases in the lower epidermis. A small lower surface tentiform mine and all frass is in a corner of the mine.
Moth Activity: Cathemeral   – but can be disturbed during the day Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Steve Orridge, Christian Heintzen©  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 8 December 2025 by TD ***
Wingspan: 7-9mm
Food Plant: Birch
Last Recorded Year: 2025 – Leaf Mine
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Rowlee Bridge, Woodlands Valley

Selected Images:  

Rose End Meadows – (2009) – Steve Orridge© / plausible, Glossop (2025) – Christian Heintzen© / Rowlee Bridge 4/11/2025 – Christian Heintzen©



Distribution Map for Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella

Found 27 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ 7 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 20 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Mining
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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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 ulmifoliella

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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.

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Monthly Records By Year: Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )


First/Last Recorded Dates: Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

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Recordings By Year: Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella
AGR: 4.38%   |   Total % Change: 180%

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella

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 ulmifoliella
( 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 ulmifoliella – 27 records available

Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Rowlee Bridge, Woodlands ValleySK18P04/11/20251Leaf-minevc57_irecords_extract
Allestree, DerbySK33P03/09/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Shillito WoodSK27X28/08/202510mine (empty)vc57_irecords_extract
Hope Woodlands, Snake RoadSK19A24/08/20251Larvavc57_irecords_extract
Limb Valley, SheffieldSK38B22/05/20251mine (tenantvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire Wild Life Trust Long CloughSK09G24/04/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R24/07/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire, UKSK07M16/09/20191Larvavc57_irecords_extract
Blacka Moor and PlantationSK28Q27/07/20161mine (tenantvc57_irecords_extract
Millers DaleSK17G03/09/20111Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Ladybower ResrSK18U03/09/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Slippery Stones,Upper DerwentSK19S25/08/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Howden ResrSK19L25/08/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Padley Gorge, Nether PadleySK27P19/08/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Rose End MeadowSK25Y16/10/20091minevc57_irecords_extract
Hopton Wood NR, CromfordSK25T16/10/20091Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
LinacreSK37L13/10/20091Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
NorburySK14G01/10/20091Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Monsall Trail, BuxtonSK17L14/09/20081Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Robin Wood, TicknallSK32M01/05/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Foremark ReservoirSK32H13/04/20072adultvc57_irecords_extract
Foremark Reservoir, DerbyshireSK32H13/04/20072adultvc57_irecords_extract
Foremark Resr, TicknallSK32H13/04/20072Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ogston Carr Wood,nr Ogston ResSK35U12/07/20061Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Clattercotes Wood, nr Ogston ResrSK36Q12/07/20061Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Brackley Gate, nr CoxbenchSK34W03/11/20011Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Cubley, nr AshbourneSK13U04/10/20011Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data

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