Forewing with greyish ground colour; many small inconspicuous, whitish striae along the costa and some brown spots near the inner margin. Identification difficult without knowledge of the larval hostplant because of the close resemblance with other Parornix species; study of the genitalia might be necessary.

Light green with light brown head; a row of four conspicuous dark brown spots on the thorax, the two inner ones larger than the two outer ones.

The first instar constructs a narrow gallery on the underside of the leaf, filled with brown frass. The next instar enlarges the gallery into a blotch in which gradually more spinning is attached causing the blotch to contract into a tentiform mine, which rather soon turns brown. Dark brown frass is deposited in a corner of the mine.
See also gracillariidae.net and bladmineerders.be.

When the caterpillar starts it free living stage, it turns a leaf edge downwards and fixes this with silk to a fold under which it feeds further on the parenchyma.
Pupation in that leaf roll which falls to the ground litter during autumn.
The species hibernates in the pupal stage.
The adults rest in the foliage during day time but become active at dusk and during the night. They come to light.

The caterpillars monophagously live on Betula species, mainly on Betula pendula, but also on Betula pubescens, B. alba and others.