4.012 BF102 – Maple Dot – Stigmella aceris – (Frey, 1857)
Adult Micro: CAT 4 – Dissection required – 
Leaf-miner: CAT L – The leaf or a Photo required – 
Larval Case: C1 – Distinctive Species –
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Leaf-miner: CAT L – The leaf or a Photo required – Larval Case: C1 – Distinctive Species – – click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines 
– Generally Common / Widespread 
– Leaf-miner
** Identification write-up required
**
– difficult to identify – detailed examination required, often a Gen Det and/or specimen and quality photographs are required.Confusion Species: Stigmella speciosa / Stigmella crataegella
ID pointers: The adult moth is very small, with a wingspan of only 3.7-4.7 mm. The forewing is dark brown with a golden bronze and purple sheen, featuring a notable white or golden fascia (band).
Distribution: Widespread and increasing
General Comment: Notes by Christian heintzen on image dated 23/10/2025 – on Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) (A) > gallery mine (B) filled with greenish coiled frass (C), later brown > shining egg (here) on underside of leaf (D,E)
Mine Period Additional: The larvae mine the leaves of Field Maple and Norway Maple from end of June-early July, August-early September.
Mine ID Difficulty:
– Care required in ID process as confusion with similar leaf mines. Quality photos of the mine required. Mine Type/s: Gallery
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: The larvae create a narrow corridor-shaped (gallery) mine within the leaf, which is initially filled with green frass. As the mine ages, the frass turns brown, making vacated mines easy to spot, especially in autumn.
*** Last updated on 8 December 2025 by TD ***
Blue-coded] moths is not displayed/updated in this tab. However, all verified records for this moth are listed in the RECORDS tab below. Selected Images:
Norton Lees (August 2025) Pete Mella© / Willington Wetlands (October 2025) Tony Davison© / Glossop 23/10/2025 – Christian Heintzen©
Image Gallery
Temporal Distribution Chart
Immatures: (between 2022 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
Distribution Map for Stigmella aceris
Found 23 records
↳ from 2026+
↳ 23 from 2020 - 2025
↳ from Before 2020
↳ from 2026+
↳ 23 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 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 – Stigmella aceris
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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:
Stigmella aceris
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year:
Stigmella aceris
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Stigmella aceris
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]
Shading shows moth presence between dates
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Recordings By Year: Stigmella aceris
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Stigmella aceris
AGR: 123.94% | Total % Change: 1023.1%
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Stigmella aceris
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Stigmella aceris
Stigmella aceris
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
Stigmella aceris
Stigmella aceris
( 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 - Stigmella aceris – 23 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Recorder | Source | RecordKey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glossop, Turnlee Road | SK09G | 23/10/2025 | 1 | Leaf-mine | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC47521371 |
| Willington Wetlands, Derbyshire | SK22Y | 22/10/2025 | 4 | mine (empty) | Davison, Tony | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC46085221 |
| Willington Wetlands | SK22Y | 11/10/2025 | 10 | mine (empty) | Davison, Tony | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC45894514 |
| Sunnydale LNR | SK33G | 07/10/2025 | 1 | mine | Shervill, Andrew | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC45823264 |
| Darwin Forest | SK26X | 04/10/2025 | 2 | mine (empty) | Evans, Dave | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC45786887 |
| A, Derby South Services, Ashton-on-Trent. | SK43F | 26/09/2025 | 14 | mine (empty) | Bryan, John-Paul | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC45661740 |
| Sunnyhill Park, Derby | SK33L | 23/09/2025 | 10 | mine | Shervill, Andrew | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC45506985 |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 09/09/2025 | 1 | mine (empty) | Evans, Dave | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC45208276 |
| Ingleby Ave, Derby | SK33L | 22/08/2025 | 50 | mine | Shervill, Andrew | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC44675541 |
| Meersbrook Park | SK38M | 22/08/2025 | 1 | mine | Mella, Pete | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC44861621 |
| Sunnydale LNR, Littleover | SK33G | 21/08/2025 | 50 | mine | Shervill, Andrew | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC44651011 |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 20/08/2025 | 1 | mine (empty) | Evans, Dave | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC44638478 |
| Graves Park (Chantreyland Meadow) | SK38K | 15/08/2025 | 1 | not recorded | Mella, Pete | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC44507570 |
| Norton Lees (Brindley Estate) | SK38L | 15/08/2025 | 1 | mine | Mella, Pete | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC44507525 |
| Alvaston Park, Derby | SK33S | 21/09/2024 | 1 | mine | Neil Gregory | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC38567650 |
| River Derwent, Derby | SK33S | 21/09/2024 | 1 | mine | Neil Gregory | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC38567732 |
| Spring Lakes | SK53A | 15/08/2024 | 1 | mine | Neil Gregory | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC37908666 |
| Poppy Wood | SK32S | 22/11/2023 | 1 | Mine | Finch, Graham Leonard | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35107043 |
| Calke Park | SK32R | 01/10/2023 | 1 | Mine | Finch, Graham Leonard | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35105522 |
| Carver's Rocks | SK32H | 21/09/2023 | 1 | Mine | Finch, Graham Leonard | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35106099 |
| Springwater Lakes | SK53B | 19/08/2023 | 1 | mine | Gregory, Neil | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC32525614 |
| Rosliston Forest Centre | SK21N | 15/10/2022 | 1 | other | Gregory, Neil | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC28398628 |
| Allestree Park | SK34K | 25/09/2022 | 1 | Mine | Finch, Graham Leonard | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35105355 |