Food Plant: Salix alba (White Willow), Salix babylonica (Weeping Willow), Salix purpurea (Purple Willow), Salix fragilis (Crack Willow). Salix triandra (Almond Leaved Willow), Salix pentandra (Bay Willow)

Egg: Lower surface of leaf

Mine: June, August -October

Pupa: Under a membrane on the margin of leaf

Notes: A tortuous lower epidermal mine with a central brownish frass-line. The larva then mines into the petiole and subsequently into a second leaf, normally opposite, where it creates another similar epidermal mine (as shown). Voith et al (2023) barcoded the Phyllocnistis species mining Salix and discovered that there were four species present -P. saligna, P. asiatica, P. ramulicola and P. triandricola sp. n. The mines illustrated under P.saligna are being reviewed in the light of these findings. More details here.

National Status: Local

Bradley No: 367

Data: 29.viii.2004, Melton, Suffolk, VC 25, Neil Sherman

Image:© Tony Prichard

Recording category: L

References:
Heath, J & Emmet, AM (1985) The Moths an Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 2
Hering, M (1957) - Bestimmungstabellen der Blattminen von Europa
Langmaid JR, Palmer SM, Young MR (2018), A Field Guide to the Smaller Moths of Great Britain and Ireland
Robbins, 1989, A Provisional Atlas of the Leaf Miners of Warwickshire
Voith, R.J.D.I., Aarvik, L., Berggren, K., Bengtsson, B.Å., Hellberg, H., Mutanen, M., Slagsvold, P.K. & Wieser, C. 2023. Taxonomy of the complex around Phyllocnistis saligna (Zeller, 1839) (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) in North and Central Europe, with the description of a new species. Norwegian Journal of Entomology 70, 10–28.