Phyllonorycter platani

Wingspan 8 to 10 mm. Similar to some other members of its family and care is needed with identification.

Adult Leafmine

Leafmine occurs on London Plane (and sometimes on Oriental Plane). http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/P.platani.htm

Where London Plane trees are present.

The moths fly in late April to May and in August.

The food plant of the larvae is London plane (Platanus x hispanica). It is because of this foodplant that the moth will inevitably have a more suburban distribution. The mines formed by this moth in October and November are large and very distinctive, with several mines often appearing on one leaf.

Since its discovery in London in 1989, this species has slowly spread through the Southern counties of the UK and into the West Country and Midlands. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.

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