Tischeria decidua

Description

Tischeria decidua is a moth of the family Tischeriidae. It is found in Central and Southern Europe, but has recently expanded its range and has been spotted in the Netherlands and Poland. The larvae feed on Castanea sativa and Quercus species, including Quercus cerris, Quercus faginea, Quercus macrolepis, Quercus pedunculiflora, Quercus petraea, Quercus pubescens and Quercus robur x turneri. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of an upper-surface blotch without any initial corridor. The colour is yellow-brown with concentric grey-green arcs. The larva makes a discoidal cocoon in the centre of the mine. During feeding pauses it rests in the cocoon. The mine contains little or no frass. The full grown larva frees the cocoon from the mine by making a circular cut in the upper epidermis of the leaf and hibernates in the fallen cocoon.