Stigmella aceris

Wingspan 3.7 to 4.7mm.

Adult Leafmine

Leafmine occurs on Field Maple (and sometimes on Norway Maple). http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.aceris.htm

Found in woodland, gardens, hedgerows and parkland in areas where Field Maple is present.

Bivoltine May-Jun and again in August.

The larvae mine the leaves of Field Maple from end of June-early July, then in August-early September.

Formerly a very rare in Britain (as recently as the 1980s) it is now becoming more frequent and has reached the English Midlands. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.

Not recorded in VC55 until 4th October 2018 (from Geeston) but was found again at Willowbrook Park on 8th October 2018 and has since been recorded in our area fairly frequently from leafmines on Field Maple.