37.049 BF533  –  Coleophoridae – Coleophora anatipennella – Pistol Case-bearer – (Hübner, 1796) 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
Black – Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data        purple – Leaf Miner
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Coleophoridae
ID Difficulty:  Red – difficult to identify – detailed examination required, often a Gen Det and/or specimen and quality photographs are required.
Confusion Species: C.albidella
ID pointers: Whitish in colour with a scattering of brownish-grey scales. Long white antennae and white legs. A number of similar species. 
Distribution:  (Last record: 4 November 2025 at Markham Vale North Tip )  –  Status in the county unknown/uncertain due to insufficient data.8 records between 2004 – 2012 – records during this period were confirmed by the CMR at the time – the late D. Budworth. Larval cases were discovered at Calke Park on 13/8/2025 and mine feeding activity at Markham Vale Nov 2025.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: June /  July –  On the wing during June & July. Mine Period:  July /  August /  September
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: Not Recorded
Mine Feeding Method/s:  Case
Mine Comment: The early case is very small. The larvae initially mine a leaf and construct a small case before hibernation. At the mining stage they make a series of tiny holes on the leaf. In later instars they become grazers of leaves from their portable case.
Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Tony Davison, Graham Finch, Mark Radford  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 January 2026 by TD ***
Wingspan: 12-16mm
Food Plant: Malus spp. (Apple), Rosaceous trees eg Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn), Prunus avium (Wild Cherry), Crataegus sp. (Hawthorn ), Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan), Pyrus communis (Pear)
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Mark Radford
Last Recorded General Area – Markham Vale North Tip

Selected Images:  Kings Newton, Derbyshire – Tony Davison© / Calke Park 13th Aug 2025 – Graham Finch© / Markham Vale 4/11/2025 – Mark Radford©



Distribution Map for Coleophora anatipennella

Found 9 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ 1 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 8 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

If the Map Layers function fails, just refresh the page and it should be OK after. Use the +- zoom on the top left, or on a tablet, use two fingers to zoom. Remember, the last layer you ticked is the one which displays the popup information - they sit on top of each other - de-select then re-select, to see the popup values.

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 – Coleophora anatipennella

⚠️ Please wait for the map to load fully – do not click the link shown.


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.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Coleophora anatipennella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


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

Shading shows moth presence between dates

Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required

Recordings By Year: Coleophora anatipennella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Coleophora anatipennella
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Coleophora anatipennella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Coleophora anatipennella
( data includes Adult Stage only )

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
Coleophora anatipennella
( 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 - Coleophora anatipennella – 9 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Markham Vale North TipSK47L04/11/20251Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Bamford St,RipleySK34Z08/07/20121Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Drakelow NR (car park),Burton on TrentSK22F28/06/20081Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Foremark Resr, TicknallSK32H09/07/20051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Spinney Hill,MelbourneSK32X01/07/20051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Edgecote Drive,Newhall,SwadlincoteSK22V06/07/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Foremark Resr, TicknallSK32H25/06/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y14/06/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Carvers Rocks (open grassland), Hartshorne, SwadlincoteSK32G15/05/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

Scroll to Top