49.234 BF1150 – Brown Elm Tortrix – Epinotia abbreviana – (Fabricius, 1794)
Adult Micro: CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species – 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
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines 
– Significant Record / Very Rare / Vagrant
– care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required. ID pointers: Variable. Forewing is orangey-brown to a dark reddish-brown, with a whitish, creamy-white or yellowish-brown oblique cross-band, sharply angled in the middle. Well-marked specimens feature a well-defined, angular basal patch and a more or less defined whitish or yellowish oblique cross-band (median fascia) edged with plumbeous (lead-coloured) streaking. Due to the moth being a very variable species, some forms can be difficult to identify without examining the genitalia, but the characteristic markings in clear specimens are a good pointer.
Distribution: (Last record: 4 May 2025 at Markham Vale ) – Has become an uncommon species due to the reduction in Elm trees. Very few records exist.
General Comment: Epinotia abbreviana is strictly not a leaf miner, instead, it feeds inside developing elm buds in its early life stage and then later moves to spin leaves together to feed on them. The feeding in the unopened bud creates a distinctive arc of holes, like cut-out circles, that become visible as the leaf expands, which is a key sign used by naturalists to identify its presence. The damage is often recorded as a feeding sign rather than a traditional leaf mine, which is a tunnel or blotch created by a larva feeding within the leaf tissue itself.
*** Last updated on 3 January 2026 by RP ***
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Mark Radford
Last Recorded General Area – Markham Vale
Selected Images: Kings Newton, Derbyshire (2019) – Will Soar© / Buxton (2024) – Ian White© /Markham Vale (2025) – Mark Radford©
Image Gallery
Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 1995 - 2024) | Immatures: (between 2025 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
This chart summarises all available historical occurrence records collated by ISO week of the year. It reflects recorder effort and sampling distribution as well as true biological activity, and should be interpreted as an indicative pattern of seasonal occurrence rather than a statistically controlled abundance or phenology model.
Distribution Map for Epinotia abbreviana
Found 9 records
↳ from 2026+
↳ 4 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 5 from Before 2020
↳ from 2026+
↳ 4 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 5 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 – Epinotia abbreviana
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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:
Epinotia abbreviana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year:
Epinotia abbreviana
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Epinotia abbreviana
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]
Shading shows moth presence between dates
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Recordings By Year: Epinotia abbreviana
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Epinotia abbreviana
AGR: 0% | Total % Change: 0%
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Epinotia abbreviana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Epinotia abbreviana
Epinotia abbreviana
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.
Records Behind the Map and Charts - Epinotia abbreviana – 9 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Recorder | Source | RecordKey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Markham Vale South Tip | SK47K | 05/05/2025 | 3 | larva | Radford, Mark | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC41384958 |
| Foxlow Ponds | SK47H | 04/05/2025 | 3 | not recorded | Radford, Mark | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC41364820 |
| Buxton (w) | SK07R | 19/07/2024 | 1 | adult | White, Ian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC48205158 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 24/06/2020 | 3 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33501151 |
| Main Street, Kings Newton | SK32Y | 15/07/2019 | 1 | Adult | Soar, Will | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34060448 |
| Main Street, Kings Newton | SK32Y | 13/06/2003 | 1 | Adult | Soar, Will | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34677618 |
| Main St,Kings Newton,Melbourne | SK32Y | 13/06/2003 | 1 | Adult | Soar, Will | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COZO3 |
| The Shimmers, Cressbrook, Buxton | SK17R | 20/07/1996 | 1 | Adult | R.F. Botterill | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COQW5 |
| Acton Rd Ind Est, Long Eaton | SK43W | 28/06/1995 | 1 | Adult | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP169 |