Phyllocnistis xenia

The larva mines the leaves of certain Poplar species - (usually White Poplar (Populus alba) or Grey Poplar (Populus canescens). The larva forms a winding, thin silvery translucent gallery resembling a 'snail trail' on the upper surface of the leaves which leads towards the leaf edge. It then folds the leaf edge over and pupates in a cocoon in the fold.

Adult Leafmine

Adults need to be confirmed by microscopic examination unless reared from the leafmine

Leafmine - please provide good quality photographs and state the host plant.

Areas where the host plants (usually Populus alba or Populus canescens) are present.

Adults are on wing from July to August and again from September to May in two generations.

Leafmine June-July, August-September.

Now becoming estpablished in the south-east of England and slowly spreading to other areas.

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland.  The first record for our area (VC55) came from Ketton Quarry in 2024.

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

https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gracillarioidea/gracillariidae/phyllocnistinae/phyllocnistis/phyllocnistis-xenia/