Yorkshire Status: Common resident.

This species is common and widespread across the county, but there are some identification problems as below. Adults are easy, though a hand lens may be needed to see the basal streak which does not extend beyond the first pair of dorsal strigulae, unlike P. quercifoliella where the streak extends much further. This is a very common species to appear in light traps, particularly in late autumn when it flies much later than other species. This is due to the fact that it is the only one of its genus to over-winter as an egg. All the rest over-winter as pupae. This is a polyphagous species, forming underside mines on a number of species. Some records are acceptable from the mines, and some need breeding out. So the rules in Yorkshire are:

1. Mines on holm oak. Easy. It's the only species to use holm oak.
2. Mines on deciduous oak. Breed through as you can't tell from the other species.
3. Mines on sweet chestnut. Easy. It's the only species to use sweet chestnut.
4. Mines on beech. Problematic. Long thin tubular mines are always P. maestingella. Flat short ones are said to be P. messaniella. The catch is that aborted or opened maestingella mines can look very like messaniella. Most counties seem quite happy to accept typical mines as messaniella and they may well be right, but be aware messaniella has not once been bred from beech in Yorkshire, and maestingella has been bred from "typical" messaniella mines so take care.
5. Mines on hornbeam. Nationally these seem to be mostly P. tenerella but messaniella has been bred out from hornbeam in Yorkshire more often than tenerella. All hornbeam mines should be bred through.
6. Mines on lime, hop hornbeam, paper-bark birch, Nothofagus - none of these have been noted in Yorkshire, but be aware it is said to occasionally feed on these.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Locally abundant on evergreen oaks, much less frequently on deciduous oaks, not recorded from VC65.

Verification Grade Comment: Mine: Accept if on Evergreen Oak, if not then rear through

Recorded in 81 (41%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1859.
Last Recorded in 2024.
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