Leaf-miner: CAT R – Moth will need to be reared and possibly dissected – Larval Case: C1 – Distinctive Species – 
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines 
– Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data 
– Leaf Miner
– difficult to identify – detailed examination required, often a Gen Det and/or specimen and quality photographs are required.Confusion Species: Phyllonorycter hostis (Cryptic Apple Leaf-miner); Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae (Common Thorn Leaf-miner)
ID pointers: An attractively marked little moth that is variable orange-ochre forewings with the white streaks sometimes merging together. Often a dusting of black across the orange ground colour. Species is similar to other Phyllonorycter species – CAT 4 requires GenDet
Distribution: (Last record: 1 October 2025 at Breadsall ) – Unknown in the recording area, despite being commonly distributed throughout England and Wales – one record – 1985 Long Eaton / Leaf Mine from Breadsall 1/10/2025
General Comment: None Mine Period Additional: None.
Mine ID Difficulty:
– Care required in ID process as confusion with similar leaf mines. Quality photos of the mine required. Mine Type/s: Blotch
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: The larvae create an oval, swollen blotch mine, usually located between two veins on the underside of the leaf. The damage is visible as whitish marks on the upper surface of the leaves, and the mined area on the underside appears brownish and wrinkled. This damage can lead to reduced crop yield in apple orchards. The larvae pupate within the leaf mine, and the pupal stage of the final generation overwinters there.
*** Last updated on 19 November 2025 by TD ***
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Sam Goddard
Last Recorded General Area – Breadsall
Selected Images:
Breadsall – Sam Goddard©
Image Gallery
Distribution Map for Phyllonorycter blancardella
Found 3 records
↳ 1 from After 2025
↳ 0 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 2 from Before 2020
↳ 1 from After 2025
↳ 0 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 2 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 blancardella
⚠️ 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 blancardella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year: Phyllonorycter blancardella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Phyllonorycter blancardella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]
Shading shows moth presence between dates
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Recordings By Year: Phyllonorycter blancardella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Phyllonorycter blancardella
AGR: 4.68% | Total % Change: 200%
CUSUM Analysis: Phyllonorycter blancardella
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 23 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 2009, 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 blancardella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Phyllonorycter blancardella
Phyllonorycter blancardella
( 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 blancardella
Phyllonorycter blancardella
( 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 blancardella – 3 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breadsall, Derbyshire | SK34Q | 01/10/2025 | 3 | mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Linacre Wood, nr Chesterfield | SK37G | 13/10/2009 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Carvers Rocks, Hartshorne, Swadlincote | SK32G | 27/04/2001 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |