Silver Birch - Betula pendula

Massalongia rubra

The larva of the gall midge Massalongia rubra galls the leaves of Birch (Betula). The gall takes the form of an elongated woody swelling along the midrib of a normally expanded leaf. The gall may be up to 10 mm in length. It may also affect the petiole or extend into the bases of lateral veins. It is most prominent on the underside of leaves and starts of green in colour becoming red-purple and then brown.

Stigmella lapponica

The larva of the moth Stigmella lapponica mines the leaves of Birch. The mine is long, filled with green frass to ¼, and then linear. The larva is a greenish white, head brown. 

Stigmella confusella

The larva of the moth Stigmella confusella  mines the leaves of Birch. The leafmine is similar in appearance to that of Stigmella lapponica, but has a black central line of frass throughout, unlike that species.  

Stigmella luteella

The larva of the moth Stigmella luteella mines the leaves of Birch produving a mine with a gallery that has a contorted start and a thick line of linear frass.

Stigmella betulicola

The larva of the moth Stigmella betulicola mines the leaves of Birch. The mine resembles that of Stigmella luteella, but is far less contorted at the beginning. The larva shows a line of dark ventral spots, unlike that of luteella, and tends to have a darker brown head. 

Phylloporia bistrigella

The larva of the moth Phylloporia bistrigella mines the leaves of Birch usually encircling a good part of the leaf, and finishing in a whitish blotch with scattered frass. It then cuts out an oval case from this position and drops to the ground. The leaf area enclosed within the mine becomes paler and vacated mines are quite distinctive.

Heliozela hammoniella

The larva of the moth Heliozela hammoniella mines the leaves of Birch. The mine starts in the petiole and midrib then leads to an oval blotch, and finally a cut-out in the leaf-blade. 

Bucculatrix demaryella

The larva of the moth Bucculatrix demaryella mines the leaves of Birch. The initial gallery is contorted and then follows a vein, before often turning at right angles.

Parornix betulae

The larva of the moth Parornix betulae mines the leaves of Birch initially creating a narrow inconspicuous gallery leading to small tentiform mine with a brown lower epidermis; later feeding in a folded leaf-edge or tip.

Phyllonorycter cavella

The larva of the moth Phyllonorycter cavella mines the leaves of Birch forming a large blister-mine on the underside of a leaf, occupying most of the leaf and causing it to pucker quite strongly. The mine has a number of strong creases on the lower epidermis.

Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella

The larva of the moth Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella mines the leaves of Birch causing a small (<15mm) tentiform mine. The larva is pale yellow or whitish with a pale brown head. 

Agromyza alnibetulae

The larva of the Agromyzid fly Agromyza alnibetulae produces a leaf mine in the leaves of Birch. The mine is an unusually long, upper-surface corridor that widens only little and winds freely through the leaf. Frass in two neat rows.

Anisostephus betulinus

The larvae of the gall midge Anisostephus betulinus cause galls to form on the leaves of Birch (Betula species). The galls take the form of a deep, circular blister about 3 mm across, 1.5 mm deep, yellowish to red-purple in colour, in the leaf blade or over veins and more prominent on the upper surface.

Stigmella sakhalinella

The larva of the moth Stigmella sakhalinella mines the leaves of Birch. The gallery is almost filled with coiled frass, leaving an intermittent transparent zone at either side. The corridor mostly begins close to the leaf margin, often near the tip of the leaf. The egg is usually on the underside of leaf.  

Semudobia betulae

The larva of the gall midge Semudobia betulae galls the catkins of Birch.  The gall is small, <2 mm long, and in each individual fruit.  The wings of the fruit are distorted and reduced in size.  The gall has a distinct circular window pit; this is a pre-formed exit hole for the insect, which pupates inside the gall.  Eventually, the catkin becomes brown where the fruits are galled; the remainder of the catkin stays green.

Semudobia skuhravae

The larva of the gall midge Semudobia skuhravae galls the catkins of birch.  The gall is fused to the spindle of the catkin between this and the scale and fruit.  It is up to 2mm long, without a 'window-pit'

Semudobia tarda

The larvae of the gall midge Semudobia tarda cause galls to form in the catkins of Birch species.  The gall is in the fruit, and is rounded, c. 2,, diameter, with a polished surface and hairs only at the apex; the wings of the fruit are almost completely absent.    The 'window-pit' is absent or indistinct on this gall.

Acalitus rudis

Acalitus rudis is a gall mite that causes galls to form on the leaves of Birch (Betula species). The gall is an erineum between the veins of the leaf. It is usually on the underside of the leaf, with or without a bulge on the other side. The hairs are quite long, white or yellowish when young, later a deep red brown.

Acalitus calycophthirus

The mite Acalitus calycophthirus galls the buds of Silver Birch and Downy Birch causing the affected bud to enlarge.  These galled buds may contain a large number of mites.

Witch's Broom

Witch's Brooms are masses of densely branched small twigs found amongst the branches of trees. Taphrina betulina affects Birch trees.  A layer of yellow asci is produced on the underside of the swollen leaves within the broom; these stunted leaves are often produced and fall before the normal leaves open. 

Orchestes rusci

The larva of the weevil Orchestes rusci mines Birch leaves, creating a broad gallery leading eventually to a hole in the leaf where the larva has cut out a circular leaf sandwich.  This falls to the ground with the larva inside, and it pupates in leaf litter.  

Anoplus plantaris

The larva of the weevil Anoplus plantaris mines Birch leaves producing a full depth gallery mine which starts by the midrib and distorts the leaf as it forms. The leaf edge becomes brown.

Eriocrania unimaculella

The larva of the moth Eriocrania unimaculella mines Birch leaves. All Eriocraniidae leafmines have spaghetti-like frass, in long threads. The larva when fully developed has a dark brown head capsule.  This is retracted into the transparent prothorax but the dark head shows through as two dark spots on the pronotum.  Two short lateral projections on the 1st adbominal segment are sometimes visible.  Immature larvae have dark ventral spots on thorax and 1st abdominal segment. (ref: Bladmineerders.nl, accessed March 4th 2025)

Coleophora milvipennis

The cased larva of the moth Coleophora milvipennis feeds on Birch. The larva constructs a long narrow, flattened case from which it feeds, creating brown blotches on the leaves.  The case sometimes has a serrated edge; it is often recorded mining along the edge of the leaf close to the petiole.

Coleophora serratella

The cased larva of the moth Coleophora serratella feeds on Birch and Elm. The first cases are very small and curved; final cases are tubular and usually have a serrated keel.

Rhamphus pulicarius

Mines are formed by the larva of the weevil Rhamphus pulicarius on the leaves of willow, poplar or ocasionally birch.  The mine is a short, broad gallery becoming a blotch; often pear-shaped..  The larva is small, squat, and yellow or orange in colour, with a dark head.

Euceraphis betulae

The aphid Euceraphis betulae is found on Silver Birch. It is mainly green in colour but the body of the adult aphids is dusted with a pale bluish wax, which may also form a furry coating on the antennae and legs.  A very similar species, Euceraphis punctipennis, is found on Downy Birch so identification of the host tree is important.

Fenusa pumila

The larvae of the sawfly Fenusa pumila mine the leaves of Birch producing a blotch on the upper side of the leaf. It starts near the midrib and extends outwards towards the leaf edge.

The larvae have four black spots underneath - the anterior spots (those near the head on the underside) being large which distinguishes it from Profenusa thomsoni.  The feet are relatively long and slender. In the final pre-pupal instar, pigmentation is lost

Fenusella nana

The larvae of the sawfly Fenusella nana mine the leaves of various Birch species. The mine starts at the tip of a vein at the leaf edge and a triangle or plug of frass is left at the start of the mine which takes the form of a large pale blotch. The larva is initially greenish, with dark spots underneath the thorax and a dark patch on the prothorax at the back of the head. It has long slender feet with dark marks at the base. It becomes a darker yellowish colour towards maturity. 

Heterarthrus nemoratus

The larva of the sawfly Heterarthrus nemoratus mines the leaves of Birch. The older part of the mine is a reddish colour and most of the frass is ejected through a slit. The larva pupates in the mine in a disc-shaped cocoon.

Profenusa thomsoni

The larva of the sawfly Profenusa thomsoni mines the leaves of Birch. The mine starts in the centre of the leaf.  The larva has brownish marks on head, and short, stubby, brownish feet

Scolioneura betuleti

The larvae of the sawfly Scolioneura betuleti mine the leaves of Birch (Betula) species and those of Green Alder. The leaf mines are large and transparent, without much frass. The larvae have dark markings on the pronotum, two dark spots on the thorax underneath, black legs and dark crescent shaped marks along the ventral side of the abdomen.  The larvae lose pigmentation in the pre-pupal stage.

Hemichroa australis

The larva of the sawfly Hemichroa australis feeds on the leaves of Birch and Alder species. When feeding, young larvae make holes in characteristic curved or angled lines in the leaves, whereas larger larvae feed on leaf edges.

Hemichroa crocea

The larvae of the sawfly Hemichroa crocea feed on Birch and Alder leaves. 

Nematus latipes

Nematus latipes is a sawfly whose larvae feed on Birch. The larva are almost black with side rows of faint yellow dots and yellow legs.

Nematus septentrionalis

The larvae of the sawfly Nematus septentrionalis feed on a number of trees including Birch.

Pristiphora testacea

The larva of the sawfly Pristiphora testacea feeds on Birch.  It has a distinctive yellow and green body and a shiny black head.

Betulaphis quadrituberculata

The Small Downy Birch Aphid (Betulaphis quadrituberculata) is usually found on the undersides of Downy Birch leaves, but may also use Silver Birch and very occasionally Grey Alder.  Betulaphis quadrituberculata apterae are pale yellowish green but sometimes almost white. In autumn they may have patches of darker pigment. The antennae are shorter than the body. The sexual forms (oviparae) which develop in late autumn are dark brown in colour and rather unusual in shape because the posterior abdominal segment behind the siphunculi appear as an elongate ovipositor-like structure.

Callipterinella tuberculata

Callipterinella tuberculata aphids are found in colonies on young growth and scattered on older leaves of Silver Birch.  The apterae are usually yellowish with a brown head, a reddish-brown dorsal band over the front of the abdomen and a dark quadratic patch on abdominal tergites 4-6. However, the dark markings are very variable. The body length of C. tuberculata apterae is 2.3 to 2.5 mm.

Birch Sawfly

The larva of the Birch Sawfly (Cimbex femoratus) feed on Silver Birch leaves between June and September and can grow up to 45mm in length. A black edged bluish stripe runs along the middle of the larva's back for the length of its body. There is a single row of black dots along the side of the body.

Solitary Birch Aphid

The Solitary Birch Aphid (Monaphis antennata) is associated with Birch. Winged adults and nymphs are green, oviparae are brownish and males are reddish, but all forms have very long and thick antennae that are black except at the base.  Unusually for aphids, they are found on upper surface of the leaf, and are solitary or present in very low numbers.

Chamaepsylla hartigi

Chamaepsylla hartigi is a small (length 3 mm) but quite distinctive psyllid, although care must be taken to rule out the similar Cacopsylla species. The body and wings are a dull yellow-orange although the pronotum and genal cones are often pale and the abdomen may occasionally be green. The long female terminalia are also distinctive.

Apple Leaf Miner

Lyonetia clerkellais a tiny moth (wingspan 7 to 9 mm) with a silvery appearance but very attractively patterned when seen under magnification. 

The larva produces a leafmine on a number of species, especially Cherry, Apple, Rowan, Hawthorn, Blackthorn and other trees and shrubs in the Rosaceae family as well as Birch.  It is also commonly found on Birch. The mine is long smoothly curved gallery with frass in a central line; older mines look whitish. The larva is long and slender. It has a segmented body and 6 dark feet.

Eriocrania salopiella

The larva of the moth Eriocrania salopiella mines the leaves of Birch. All Eriocraniidae leafmines have spaghetti-like frass, in long threads.  The mine starts in the centre of leaf, as a short gallery widening gradually into a blotch.  

Eriocrania sparrmannella

The larva of the moth Eriocrania sparrmannella mines the leaves of Birch. The mine starts with a narrow gallery, widening abruptly into a blotch filled with filament-like threads of frass.  The mine begins towards the centre of the leaf.  The larva has two cloudy brown spots visible through the pronotum, but these can be very difficult to see.

Eriocrania cicatricella

The larva of the moth Eriocrania cicatricella mines the leaves of Birch. The larvae usually feed communally on one leaf and often the mines run together into a large blotch, giving the appearance of several larvae in one mine. The larvae are small, pale and translucent.

Eriocrania sangii

The larva of the moth Eriocrania sangii mines the leaves of Birch. All Eriocraniidae leafmines have spaghetti-like frass, in long threads.  The larva of Eriocrania sangii is unusual in being grey. 

Eriocrania semipurpurella

The larva of the moth Eriocrania semipurpurella mines the leaves of Birch. All Eriocraniidae mines have spaghetti-like frass in long threads. The larvae live a blotch mine at the leaf margin which over-runs the short gallery at the start of the mine.  The mature larvae are white with pale brown head. 

Ectoedemia occultella

The larva of the moth Ectoedemia occultella mines the leaves of Birch creating a distinctive mine which begins as a dark circular blotch, and is then extended into a larger pale blotch with a darker central circle.

Ectoedemia minimella

The larva of the moth Ectoedemia minimella mines the leaves of Birch and Hazel creating a mine that begins as a contorted gallery which later becomes a blotch with scattered frass.

Stigmella continuella

The larva of the moth Stigmella continuella mines the leaves of Birch forming a mine that starts off with a brownish blotch and then becomes a gallery completely filled with greenish-brown frass.