4.099 BF34 – Large Birch Dot – Ectoedemia occultella – (Linnaeus, 1767)
Adult Micro: CAT 4 – Dissection required – 
Leaf-miner: CAT A – Recorded accepted without the leaf or a photo – Larval Case: C1 – Distinctive Species –
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Leaf-miner: CAT A – Recorded accepted without the leaf or a photo – Larval Case: C1 – Distinctive Species – – click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines 
– Rare / Uncommon / Scarce 
– Leaf-miner
– difficult to identify – detailed examination required, often a Gen Det and/or specimen and quality photographs are required.Confusion Species: Ectoedemia minimella; Ectoedemia atricollis
ID pointers: Very similar to Ectoedemia atricollis; appears to be slightly paler in colour tones. The adults are quite large for a Nepticulid, and have blackish forewings with a hint of violet, and contrasting whitish central band and eye-caps. The males have black heads, those of the female orange or yellow.
Distribution: (Last record: 24 November 2025 at Glossop, Gnat Hole ) – Uncertain due to insufficient data – Leaf Mines at Glossop 2025, King’s Newton 2024, Buxton, Grange Wood 2018 and Calke October 2008. Suspect the mine is under recorded and common where the food plant exists.
General Comment: None Mine Period Additional: None.
Mine ID Difficulty:
– Easy to identify, generally the leaf mine is distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species. Mine Type/s: Blotch
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: The larvae form a distinctive leaf mine in the leaves of birch, beginning as a dark circular blotch, then extending to a larger pale blotch and frass in grains. Sometimes several mines in one leaf. The egg is laid on the underside of a leaf.
*** Last updated on 8 December 2025 by TD ***
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Glossop, Gnat Hole
Selected Images:
Kings Newton – 28/10/2024 – Tom Shields© / Buxton – Steve Orridge© / Glossop 25/10/2025 & 24/11/2025 – Christian Heintzen©
Image Gallery
Temporal Distribution Chart
Immatures: (between 2001 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
Distribution Map for Ectoedemia occultella
Found 23 records
↳ from 2026+
↳ 6 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 17 from Before 2020
↳ from 2026+
↳ 6 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 17 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 – Ectoedemia occultella
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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:
Ectoedemia occultella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year:
Ectoedemia occultella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Ectoedemia occultella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]
Shading shows moth presence between dates
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Recordings By Year: Ectoedemia occultella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Ectoedemia occultella
AGR: 13.57% | Total % Change: 2020%
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Ectoedemia occultella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Ectoedemia occultella
Ectoedemia occultella
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
Ectoedemia occultella
Ectoedemia occultella
( 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 - Ectoedemia occultella – 23 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Recorder | Source | RecordKey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glossop, Gnat Hole | SK09G | 24/11/2025 | 3 | Leaf-mine | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC47521400 |
| Glossop, Shawmoor Plantation | SK09F | 25/10/2025 | 1 | Leaf-mine | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC47521374 |
| Glossop, Gnat Hole | SK09G | 17/10/2025 | 1 | Leaf-mine | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC47521367 |
| Harry's Wood, Smisby | SK32K | 13/10/2025 | 1 | Mine | Finch, Graham Leonard | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC50351986 |
| Markham Vale, Hall Lane Pond | SK47H | 05/10/2025 | 100 | mine | Radford, Mark | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC45797696 |
| King's Newton | SK32Y | 28/10/2024 | 10 | mine | TOM SHIELDS | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC39158601 |
| Grange Wood | SK21S | 13/09/2018 | 1 | Mine | Finch, Graham Leonard | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35106431 |
| River Derwent, Hope Valley, England, GB | SK18U | 16/10/2011 | 1 | Larva | Dave Shenton | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC39252529 |
| Millers Dale | SK17G | 03/09/2011 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP7LC |
| Ladybower Resr | SK18U | 03/09/2010 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COXJB |
| Howden Resr | SK19L | 25/08/2010 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP08V |
| Howden Resr | SK19S | 25/08/2010 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COXHS |
| Slippery Stones,Upper Derwent | SK19S | 25/08/2010 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COXI6 |
| Padley Gorge, Nether Padley | SK27P | 19/08/2010 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP6HL |
| Linacre Wood | SK37G | 13/10/2009 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COWZU |
| Hope | SK18R | 07/10/2009 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COSZ9 |
| Norbury | SK14G | 02/10/2009 | 1 | Larva | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC38850710 |
| Norbury | SK14G | 01/10/2009 | 1 | Larval Mine | Dave Budworth;S.A. Orridge;S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP538 |
| Castleton | SK18L | 10/09/2009 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COWX0 |
| Calke Park | SK32L | 25/10/2008 | 1 | Mine | Finch, Graham Leonard | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35105475 |
| Calke Park,Ticknall | SK32R | 25/10/2008 | 1 | Larval Mine | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COSOC |
| Brackley Gate, nr Coxbench | SK34W | 03/11/2001 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP1FK |
| Cubley, nr Ashbourne | SK13U | 04/10/2001 | 1 | Larval Mine | S.H. Hind | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP1F2 |