Last modified: March 2, 2024, 6:40 p.m.
A local and very rare species in Belgium.
Native
Head ochreous; forewing ground colour golden brown, white pattern consisting of a short, thick basal line and a similar patch at the base of the inner margin; four costal and three dorsal striae, of which the first ones are merged to form a broad transversal, slightly concave band.
A large tentiform mine on the underside of a leaf, most of the time between two secondary veins and very much folded. Many small longitudal folds on the underside, difficult to see because of the hairs on the leaf. Frass concentrated in corner of the mine. The mine of this species cannot be distinguished from that of Ph. dubitella.
See also gracillariidae.net and bladmineerders.be.
A tough, golden brown cocoon; light pupa brown.
The species hibernates in the pupal stage.
Two generations a year: May–June and August.
The caterpillar mainly mines on Salix caprea, but has also been recorded from Salix aurita and S. cinerea.
