Phyllonorycter spinicolella

Wingspan 6 to 8 mm. The adult moths are very similar in appearance to P. cerasicolella and the two species are best separated by genitalia dissection or by recording as a leafmine with a note of the host foodplant. The larva mines the leaves of Prunus (usually Blackthorn).

Adult Leafmine

Areas where the larval foodplants occur.

The moths fly in two generations, in May and August.

The larvae feed on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) or sometimes Wild Plum (Prunus domestica). On Blackthorn the mines are narrow and cause the leaf to pucker strongly, often folding right over, and being whitish can resemble those of the blackthorn-feeding Parornix species.

A common and widespread species throughout most of the British Isles. 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).

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

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