Head brown, mixed with white haires; forewing ground colour brown, with a pattern consisting of a straight basal streak; a white patch on dorsum near the base; four costal and three dorsal striae, finely edged with dark brown scales basally; a patch with dark brown scales in the apical area.

A rather large (ca. 12 mm), tentiform mine between two secondary veins on the underside of a leaf, many tiny longitudinal folds, light green to green. The leaf is contorted much in later stages. Upperside of the mine light green or white. The dark frass is concentrated in a corner of the mine.
See also gracillariidae.net and bladmineerders.be.

The last instar of the summer generation makes a loose spinning, that of the autumn generation construct a tough, white cocoon without applying any frass.

The species hibernates in the larval stage inside the cocoon, between leaf litter on the ground. Pupation in spring. After emergence of the adult, the pupal skin protrudes through the mine.

The larva lives mainly on Prunus spinosa, but can also be found on other Prunus species.

The species used to be recorded especially from the limestone area, but since the larval host plant is planted as an ornamental plant, the species spread all over the country. It has been found at forest edges, in gardens and parks.