15.063 BF341  –  Gracillariidae –  Lithocolletinae – Phyllonorycter maestingella – Beech Leaf-miner – (Müller, 1764) Adult Micro:  CAT 4 – Gen. Det. Required – Gen-Det-Reqd       Leaf-miner:  CAT L – The leaf or a Photo required – reared and possibly dissected       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Blue –  Generally Common / Widespread        purple – Leaf Miner
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Gracillariidae  >> Lithocolletinae
Other Name/s: Beech Midget
ID Difficulty:  Red – difficult to identify – detailed examination required, often a Gen Det and/or specimen and quality photographs are required.
Confusion Species: < Phyllonorycter scopariella Phyllonorycter coryli >
ID pointers: This tiny moth has an intricate pattern of orange-brown, white and black markings.Several black and white V-shaped cross-lines. A “Tufted” head.
Distribution:  Common across most of the British Isles. Seems well spread across Derbyshire so most probably common where the food plant exists. Most records refer to the leaf mine
General Comment: None
Flight Period: May /  June /  August –  On the wing during May – June &  August in two generations Mine Period:  July /  September /  October
Mine Period Additional: Recognisable as a silvery blotch on the upper-side of the leaf, usually over veins. Later, the mines contract which causes the leaf to fold upwards. Numerous mines can be located on each leaf. Found on Corylus (Hazel)
Mine ID Difficulty: Not Recorded
Mine Type/s: Not Recorded
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: None.
Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Dave Evans  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 7-9mm
Food Plant: Beech
Recorded dates for Common [Blue code Blue-coded] moths are not stored on the website at this current time.

Selected Images:  Leaf Mine – Dave Evans © – September 2024 & October 20th 2019 – Wyver Lane, Belper.

 
 


 

Distribution Map for Phyllonorycter maestingella

Found 60 records
    ↳ 11 from After 2025
    ↳ 10 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 39 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 – Phyllonorycter maestingella

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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.

Visit NBN Site


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

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Phyllonorycter maestingella
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: Phyllonorycter maestingella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Phyllonorycter maestingella
AGR: 13.32%   |   Total % Change: 1909.1%


CUSUM Analysis: Phyllonorycter maestingella
About this chart: CUSUM (Cumulative Sum) charts track long-term trends in moth populations [ filtered by 'Adult' and 'Mine' life stages ] by showing whether each year’s counts are above or below the historical average. Even small shifts build up over time, making trends of growth, stability, or decline easier to see. CUSUM highlights trend-consistency — asking: “Across the years, have moth counts mostly stayed above or below average?”
The data sample has 15 gap year/s here (zero records) between 2000 and 2025. The moth may have been present in those gap years, but no data was available. Too many year-gaps may exaggerate or skew the chart.

Counts for the current year (2025) are pro-rated based on data available up to month 9 (September) to provide a full-year equivalent.

Purple line rises = years better than average; falls = years worse than average.
Peak (best year) Trough (worst year) Growth periods Decline periods
Population peaked around 2025, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2024, showing a significant decline.

What the Y-axis "Cumulative Deviation" means: Cumulative Deviation shows the running total of how each year’s moth population count differs from the long-term average. i

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

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Phyllonorycter maestingella
( 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 2020-2025.

Mine Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Phyllonorycter maestingella
( 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 2020-2025.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Phyllonorycter maestingella – 60 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Darwin ForestSK36C06/10/202550mine (empty)vc57_irecords_extract
Darwin ForestSK26X04/10/202511mine (empty)vc57_irecords_extract
DWT Wyver LaneSK34P02/09/20253mine (empty)vc57_irecords_extract
Great Hucklow, Buxton SKRQ, UKSK17Y27/08/20251Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Clemsons ParkSK33G25/08/202550minevc57_irecords_extract
Ashwood Dale (north), BuxtonSK07R23/08/20251minevc57_irecords_extract
DWT Wyver LaneSK34P13/08/20252mine (empty)vc57_irecords_extract
Graves Park, SheffieldSK38L28/07/20251minevc57_irecords_extract
Gadley Plantation (north), BuxtonSK07L23/07/20251minevc57_irecords_extract
Long Wood, Moss ValleySK38Q07/07/20251minevc57_irecords_extract
Darwin ForestSK26X05/07/2025100mine (empty)vc57_irecords_extract
Lightwood, BuxtonSK07M26/10/20241Larvavc57_irecords_extract
Cote Heath Wood (west), BuxtonSK07L17/10/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chee DaleSK17G15/10/20241minevc57_irecords_extract
Monsall TrailSK17L14/10/20241mine (empty)vc57_irecords_extract
DWT Wyver LaneSK34P12/09/20241mine (empty)vc57_irecords_extract
DWT Wyver LaneSK34P04/09/20242mine (empty)vc57_irecords_extract
Calke ParkSK32R07/10/20231Minevc57_irecords_extract
Calke ParkSK32R01/10/20231Minevc57_irecords_extract
Carver's RocksSK32H21/09/20231Minevc57_irecords_extract
Ashwood Park, BuxtonSK07R25/09/20211Larvavc57_irecords_extract
Longshaw Estate and Padley GorgeSK27P18/07/20175not recordedvc57_irecords_extract
Cromford Moor and High Peak TrailSK25X23/08/20161pre-adultvc57_irecords_extract
Stanage EdgeSK28H22/07/20161pre-adultvc57_irecords_extract
Carvers Rocks,HartshorneSK32G08/10/20111Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Millers DaleSK17G03/09/20111Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Thorpe, Ashbourne DE, UKSK15K13/10/20101Larvavc57_irecords_extract
Thorpe, DovedaleSK15K13/10/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Derbyshire, UKSK16Z22/09/20101Larvavc57_irecords_extract
Ashford in the WaterSK16Z22/09/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
BamfordSK28B21/09/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Ladybower ResrSK18U03/09/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Howden ResrSK19S25/08/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Howden ResrSK19L25/08/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Padley Gorge, Nether PadleySK27P19/08/20101Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
CromfordSK25Y16/10/20091Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
LinacreSK37L13/10/20091Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Stoney MiddletonSK27H12/10/20091Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Robin Wood, TicknallSK32M10/10/20096Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Robin Wood, TicknallSK32S10/10/20096Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
HopeSK18R07/10/20091Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Foremark Resr (sailing club area), TicknallSK32H02/10/20091Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
NorburySK14G01/10/20091Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Pin DaleSK18L10/09/20091Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Broomfield Hall, Morley, DerbySK34V08/11/20081Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Calke ParkSK32L25/10/20081Minevc57_irecords_extract
Calke Park,TicknallSK32R25/10/20081Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Oaks Barn Cottage, Monyash Rd, Over Haddon, BakewellSK26D19/09/20081Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Monsall Trail, BuxtonSK17L14/09/20081Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Robin Wood, TicknallSK32M26/10/20071Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Carvers Rocks (sth Bridle Path), Hartshorne, SwadlincoteSK32G22/10/20071Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Osmaston Park,AshbourneSK24B13/10/20076Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Mousley Bottom, New MillsSJ98X03/09/20071Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Shallcross Wood, Goyt Valley, Whaley BridgeSK07E26/09/20061Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Ogston Carr Wood,nr Ogston ResSK35U12/07/20061Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Hillclifflane, nr IdridgehaySK24Y02/11/20021Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Swanwick, AlfretonSK45B05/12/20011Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Brackley Gate, nr CoxbenchSK34W03/11/20011Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Abbotsholme School, RocesterSK13E04/10/20011Larval Minevc57_danes_bc_data
Limb Valley (upper beech), SheffieldSK38B18/05/19851Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

 
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