Last modified: Nov. 2, 2024, 12:16 p.m.
This species was mentioned for the first time in Belgium in 2009. Nowadays dispersed throughout the country but still rare.
Native
The white caterpillar has a pale brown head.
The mine starts as a narrow gallery that is completely filled with black frass. Soon this gallery turns into a blotch mine that can cover the entire side of a leaf. Usually, the mine starts on one side, crosses the main vein, and continues on the other side of this vein.
See also bladmineerders.be
The egg is laid in the leaf close to the main vein. The larva constructs a mine that starts as a narrow gallery that is completely filled with black frass. Soon this gallery turns into a blotch mine that can cover the entire side of a leaf. Usually, the mine starts on one side, crosses the main vein, and continues on the other side of this vein. In this blotch mine, the frass is visible as long spaghetti-like threads. This species pupates in a tough silken cocoon in the soil or debris.
The adult moths can be observed resting on trees or flying around trees in sunshine. They occasionally come to light too.
The adults fly from late April till the end of May.
The monophagous larva feeds on Betula spp.