Pear Leaf Blister Moth - Leucoptera malifoliella

Wingspan about 8mm. although well marked, the moth is very similar in appearance to other Leucoptera species.

Adult Leafmine

Leafmine occurs on Hawthorn, Apple and Whitebeam. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/L.malifoliella.htm

Various habitats, especially where the larval foodplants are present.

The adult moths fly in June and July.

The larva makes a distinctive round blotch in a leaf of Hawthorn, Apple or Pear with a spiral frass pattern typical of the genus, sometimes several mines in one leaf. Occupied mines can be found in August and September.

Although distributed throughout England and into Southern Scotland, this species can be rather erratic in its occurrence and can be quite a difficult species to track down. In some years there is a population explosion when it appears commonly, but in between can be quite uncommon. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

It appears to be uncommon in Leicestershire and Rutland, where there are few records. L&R Moth Group status = D (rare or rarely recorded).