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
– 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:
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 28 May 2026 by RP ***
Last Recorded Year: 2025
First Recorded Year: 2001
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Glossop, Gnat Hole
Possible Future Content
Images of Interest
Image Gallery
Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 2026 - 2026) | Immatures: (between 2001 - 2026)
(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.
Changes in First and Last Recorded Activity Dates Over Time
Activity Data Range:
2001 –
2026
Earliest Appearance:
19th August (in 2010)
Latest Appearance:
24th November (in 2025)
This chart presents a time-series summary of recorded observations. It is based on available records at the time of analysis and will evolve as further data are added. The five-year moving average provides a smoothed representation of variation in recorded adult and immature activity over time, helping to illustrate longer-term trends in the earliest and latest recorded dates.
Annual record totals are shown for context; years with fewer records may provide a less complete representation of activity than years with higher recording intensity. Interpretation should consider that apparent trends may reflect both biological change and variation in recording effort.
Note: Clicking either the Adult Range.... or Immature Range... legends allows you to hide them, to show more discrete data.
Distribution Map for Ectoedemia occultella
Found 30 records
↳ 7 from 2026+
↳ 6 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 17 from Before 2020
↳ 7 from 2026+
↳ 6 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 17 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 – Ectoedemia occultella
⚠️ 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:
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
Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required
Recordings By Year: Ectoedemia occultella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Ectoedemia occultella
AGR: 20.6% | Total % Change: 10700%
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 – 30 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 | SK47L | 31/10/2026 | 500 | mine | Radford, Mark | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC57819111 |
| Poolsbrook CP North | SK47H | 22/10/2026 | 1 | mine | Radford, Mark | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC57682656 |
| Markham Vale South Tip | SK47K | 15/10/2026 | 200 | mine | Radford, Mark | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC57565654 |
| Meersbrook Park | SK38M | 13/10/2026 | 1 | mine | Mella, Pete | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC57532304 |
| Hall Lane Pond | SK47H | 13/10/2026 | 50 | mine | Radford, Mark | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC57545543 |
| Sett Valley Trail | SK08C | 05/10/2026 | 1 | Adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC57521146 |
| Markham Vale | SK47L | 28/08/2026 | 3 | mine | Radford, Mark | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC56444970 |
| 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 | Shields, Tom | 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 |