Phyllonorycter dubitella
Southern Midget
Wingspan about 8 mm. It mines sallow leaves, creating tentiform mines.
Phyllonorycter hilarella and P salicicolella. The mines and larva cannot be distinguished.
Adult: Dissection is required to confirm records to full species.
Leafmine: Please rear through potential mines – the resulting adult should be retained for gen det.
Where the larval host plant occurs.
There are two generations of the moth, with leafmines being visible in July and again in September and October, and adults on the wing in May and June, and again in August.
The species mines the leaves of Goat Willow, causing the upper surface of the leaf to fold quite dramatically.
Generally speaking a species of southern and central England. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as Nationally Scarce B.
Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland. The Burbage Common record of 5 Nov 2021 was the first for VC55
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
Enter a town or village to see local records
MAP KEY:
Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020
UK Map
Species profile
- Common names
- Southern Midget
- Species group:
- insect - moth
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Lepidoptera
- Family:
- Gracillariidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 3
- First record:
- 05/11/2021 (Calow, Graham)
- Last record:
- 19/06/2025 (Johnson, Andrew)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.





