Phyllonorycter acerifoliella

Description

Phyllonorycter acerifoliella is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is found from Sweden to the Pyrenees, Italy, Albania and Bulgaria and from Great Britain to southern Russia. The wingspan is about 8 mm. Adults are on wing in May and August in two generations in western Europe. The larvae feed on Acer campestre and Acer tataricum. They mine the leaves of their host plant. They create a relatively small, lower surface tentiform mine which is often located under a leaf segment. During development, the mine contracts and this segment usually folds down, covering the mine. The pupa is dark (black to brown) and made in a cocoon that is attached to the floor of the mine.