Phyllonorycter pastorella

Wingspan is 8 to 9.5 mm. The larva mines the leaves of long-leaved (smooth-leaved) willows such as Crack-willow, White Willow and Weeping Willow. The mines are large and have a single sharp crease on the undeside.  The pupal cremaster has two very small pairs of thorns.

Several other Phyllonorycter species mine Willow

Adult Leafmine

Adult: Please provide photographs and retain the specimen for confirmation by gen det.  

Leafmine: Please provide photographs of the mine showing both the upper surface and underside of the mine. Please also state the approximate length of the mine and the host plant species.

Water margins and damp areas where the larval foodplants occur.

Adult flight period in Britain remains uncertain but thought to be one or more generations, August-October overwintering as an adult. Leafmines may be found from late September through to November. 

The larvae feed on the long-leaved (smooth-leaved) willows such as Crack-willow, White Willow and Weeping Willow.

Discovered in central London in 2014 new to Britain and now breeding here.

First recorded at Aylestone Meadows on 18th September 2022, with several records quickly following from widespread sites. This species is likely to have very recently arrived and is expected to rapidly colonise throughout VC55 wherever the foodplants are present.

http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/P.pastorella.htm

https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gracillarioidea/gracillariidae/lithocolletinae/phyllonorycter/phyllonorycter-pastorella/