Stigmella aurella

Wingspan 6-7 mm. Adults may only be identified via dissection or if reared from a leaf mine [when orange head colouration separates from black head of S. splendidissimella].

Other Stigmella spp.

Adult Leafmine

Leafmine occurs on a number of plants including Bramble, Wild Strawberry, Agrimony and various Geum species.http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.aurella.htm

The mine is typically a long meandering gallery with dispersed frass, but can be very similar to S. splendidissimella with a neater central frass line. Therefore all leaf mine records of either species where the frass line is central and not dispersed should be tenanted and reared through to adult.

Areas where the larval foodplants are present.

Tenanted mines typically found May-June, July-August and October-March.

This species is one of the commonest and most widespread in the British Isles.

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland, but recorded mainly from leafmines.