Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner - Cameraria ohridella

Wingspan around 8 mm. The adult moths resemble other Gracillariidae, although are quite distinctively dark reddish-brown with a noticeable white frons.

Adult Leafmine

Leafmine occurs on Horse-chestnut occasionally on sycamore or other species http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/C.ohridella.htm

It appears that it is being dispersed along railway lines and major roads and is usually found in the vicinity of Horse-chestnut trees.

June to September - It is thought that three generations exist.

The larva mines the leaves of Horse-chestnut causing noticeable brown blotches, often many to one leaf. There is however a similar-looking fungus which can cause confusion.

This species was discovered near Macedonia in 1985 and since then has spread rapidly to other countries in Europe. It was first discovered in Britain at Wimbledon in south-west London in 2002 but possibly had arrived the previous year, as it was quite plentiful. It is thought that the species may be expanding partially due to accidental transportation by man, either by road or rail. It has now been found quite extensively in much of England. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common. There can be many mines on a leaf and this moth can cause serious defoliation. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

It is already fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland and can be abundant in some locations. L&R Moth Group status = B (scarce resident or restricted distribution or regular migrant)