– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines 
– Generally Common / Widespread 
– Leaf Miner
– care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required. Confusion Species: Phyllonorycter quercifoliella
ID pointers: Forewing shining pale golden brown with four dorsal and four costal whitish streaks. Inwardly edged dark brown. A fine whitish basal streak that barely meets the middle of the forewing is a good ID feature
Distribution: Appears to be generally common as numerous records of the leaf-mines. Fairly common across the British Isles. Probably locally common in Oak, Beech or Sweet Chestnut Woodland.
General Comment: None Mine Period Additional: Can be found throughout the winter on Oak, Beech, Sweet Chestnut. Accepted if on Holm Oak otherwise needs to be reared.
Mine ID Difficulty: Not Recorded
Mine Type/s: Not Recorded
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: None.
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Blue-coded] moths are not stored on the website at this current time. Selected Images: Staunton Harold Reservoir, Derbyshire – Tony Davison © / Belper – Dave Evans©
Image Gallery
Distribution Map for Phyllonorycter messaniella
Found 40 records
↳ 13 from After 2025
↳ 11 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 16 from Before 2020
↳ 13 from After 2025
↳ 11 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 16 from Before 2020
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 messaniella
⚠️ 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.
Monthly Records By Year:
Phyllonorycter messaniella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year: Phyllonorycter messaniella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Phyllonorycter messaniella
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 messaniella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Phyllonorycter messaniella
AGR: 11.82% | Total % Change: 1361.5%
CUSUM Analysis: Phyllonorycter messaniella
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 13 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 2023, 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 messaniella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Phyllonorycter messaniella
Phyllonorycter messaniella
( 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 messaniella
Phyllonorycter messaniella
( 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 messaniella – 40 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darwin Forest | SK36C | 06/10/2025 | 100 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Darwin Forest | SK26X | 04/10/2025 | 15 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 02/09/2025 | 11 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Shillito Wood | SK27X | 28/08/2025 | 10 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Grindlow, UK | SK17Y | 27/08/2025 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Graves Park, Sheffield | SK38L | 26/08/2025 | 1 | mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Graves Park, Sheffield | SK38L | 26/08/2025 | 1 | mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 13/08/2025 | 4 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 06/08/2025 | 7 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 23/07/2025 | 28 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Limb Valley, Sheffield | SK38B | 28/06/2025 | 10 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Chaddesden Garden | SK33T | 21/06/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Chaddesden Garden | SK33T | 14/06/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Crich Lane Woods | SK34P | 19/10/2024 | 4 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Calke Abbey | SK32R | 16/10/2024 | 1 | mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Darwin Forest | SK36C | 02/10/2024 | 20 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Bunsal Cob, Goyt Valley | SK07C | 16/09/2024 | 1 | mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 12/09/2024 | 6 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 04/09/2024 | 2 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Poppy Wood | SK32S | 22/11/2023 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Calke Park | SK32R | 07/10/2023 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Calke Park | SK32R | 01/10/2023 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Carver's Rocks | SK32G | 30/09/2023 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Carver's Rocks | SK32H | 21/09/2023 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Blacka Moor and Plantation | SK28V | 22/06/2019 | 1 | pre-adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Grange Wood | SK21S | 13/09/2018 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Ramsley Moor and Reservoir | SK27X | 02/08/2018 | 1 | pre-adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Lady Canning's Plantation | SK28W | 28/08/2017 | 1 | pre-adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Cromford Moor and High Peak Trail | SK25X | 23/08/2016 | 1 | pre-adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| nr Smith's Gorse, Hartshorne, Swadlincote | SK32L | 15/08/2014 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Millennium Meadow NR, Duffield | SK34L | 25/08/2013 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Carvers Rocks, Hartshorne, Swadlincote | SK32G | 11/09/2011 | 6 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Wood, Howden Resr | SK19R | 25/08/2010 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Linacre | SK37L | 13/10/2009 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Broomfield Hall, Morley, Derby | SK34V | 08/11/2008 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Calke Park | SK32L | 25/10/2008 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Calke Park,Ticknall | SK32R | 25/10/2008 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Edgecote Drive,Newhall,Swadlincote | SK22V | 31/10/2004 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Hillclifflane, nr Idridgehay | SK24Y | 02/11/2002 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Abbotsholme School, Rocester | SK13E | 04/10/2001 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |