Coleophora prunifoliae

Wingspan 10 to 12 mm. A mid grey coloured moth which is externally very similar to a number of other Coleophorids and is only safely identified by dissection.

Areas where the larval foodplants occur.

From mid-June to the end of July.

The larval foodplants are blackthorn, apple and dwarf cherry the larva forming a case similar to that of P. coracipennella.

Only recently added to the British list when it was discovered in Cornwall, this species is now known from a number of English counties, although due to confusion with other species, details of its distribution are limited. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as Nationally Scarce B, but this will almost certainly be revised when its true distribution becomes better known.

It appears to be uncommon in Leicestershire and Rutland, where there are few records at present, although the true species distribution locally is not yet known. L&R Moth Group status = D (rare or rarely recorded).