Phyllonorycter hilarella - 15th July 2018 - Buxton - Steve Orridge
15.058 BF337  – Large Willow Leaf-miner  – Phyllonorycter hilarella  – (Zetterstedt, 1839)
Adult Micro:  CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species –       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
Black – Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data        purple – Leaf-miner
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Gracillariidae  >> Lithocolletinae
Other Name/s: Sallow Midget
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Phyllonorycter viminetorum
(Osier Leaf-miner); Phyllonorycter salicicolella
(Grey Willow Leaf-miner)
ID pointers: None at this time
Distribution:  (Last record: 2018 at Kings Newton )  –  Uncertain as very few records since 1984. 2 from Kings Newton 2014 & 2018 & one from Buxton 2018
General Comment: None
Flight Period: May /  June /  August –  Two generations May-June and again in August Mine Period:  July /  September /  October /  November
Mine Period Additional: The larvae mine the leaves of Salix and are very similar to P.dubitella. They need to be bred through in order to identify
Mine ID Difficulty: Not Recorded
Mine Type/s: Not Recorded
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: None.
Moth Activity: Cathemeral  Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Steve Orridge  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 7-9mm
Food Plant: Salix, Goat Willow
Last Recorded Year: 2018
Last Recorded By – Will Soar
Last Recorded General Area – Kings Newton

Selected Images:  

Buxton (2018) Steve Orridge©



Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 2014 - 2018)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)

Distribution Map for Phyllonorycter hilarella

Found 3 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 3 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

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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 – Phyllonorycter hilarella

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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.

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

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

First/Last Recorded Dates: Phyllonorycter hilarella
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 hilarella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Phyllonorycter hilarella
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%

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

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Phyllonorycter hilarella

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
Phyllonorycter hilarella
( 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 - Phyllonorycter hilarella – 3 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageRecorderSourceRecordKey
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y17/07/20181AdultSoar, Willvc57_irecords_extractiBRC34059819
Ladycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S15/07/20181adultOrridge, Stevevc57_irecords_extractiBRC34801965
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y06/08/20141AdultSoar, Willvc57_irecords_extractiBRC34679896

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