Yorkshire Status: Very local resident.

This is one of the six Stigmella species which mines birch leaves, and is one of the most uncommon. Identification is not always straightforward so care should be taken. This is a rare species in the county or perhaps just under-recorded. The egg is on the underneath of the leaf close to a vein. The mine is a short tortuous corridor. The first part does not encircle the egg. The mine edges are parallel and smooth unlike the scalloped out edges of luteella, the main confusion species. There are usually several mines in a leaf. The larva is bright yellow with a green gut line, a line of dark ventral spots and a small brown spot on the prothorax. Mines are commonest on low scrub and seedlings. See the useful key at More Info . If you think you have found this species, think twice as it might be luteella.

In 1883, Porritt listed records from Richmond and Sheffield, but there were very few records after this until 2011 when if proved to be more common than previously suspected in the eastern half of VC63. There have been scattered records from VC61 and 62, but none from VC64 and only the old "Richmond" record from VC65.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Sparsely recorded with scattered records from vice-counties 61, 63 and 65.

Verification Grade Comment: Make sure you have excluded Stigmella luteella

	Determination by Genitalia Examination (gen. det.) Required

	Mine: Either the leaf or a good photograph required

Recorded in 15 (8%) of 200 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1883. Last Recorded in 2024. Additional Stats

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