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Leaf-miner: The mine is upper side, oval, over midrib or side-vein - the upper epidermis flimsy with one strong crease (British leafminers).

Unlike other species that form an upperside mine, the surface is not papery, but quite glossy and heavily creased. The mine begins green and then turns orange or brown when more mature (UKMoths).

Upper-surface, fairly small, almost flat tentiform mine with a characteristic yellow green colour. The mine has a single, moderately strong, fold. Generally the mine is positioned over a lateral vein. Frass in a clump in a corner of the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Larva: The larvae of moths have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles (see video of a gracillarid larva feeding), six thoracic legs and abdominal legs (see examples).

The larva is illustrated in British leafminers and Bladmineerders van Europa.

Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).

The pupa is formed in a white cocoon (British leafminers).

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Betulaceae
Alnus				British leafminers
Alnus	glutinosa	Alder		Pitkin & Plant
Alnus	incana	Grey Alder		Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Betulaceae
Alnus	cordata	Italian Alder		Belgian Lepidoptera
Alnus	cordata	Italian Alder		Bladmineerders van Europa
Alnus	glutinosa	Alder		Belgian Lepidoptera
Alnus	glutinosa	Alder		Bladmineerders van Europa
Alnus	incana	Grey Alder		Belgian Lepidoptera
Alnus	incana	Grey Alder		Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: July, October (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: Two generations, with a flight period in May and August (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: A common and widespread moth in England and Wales, with only a very few Scottish records (UKMoths) including Anglesey, Bedfordshire, Breconshire, Buckinghamshire, Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, Cheshire, Denbighshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, Durham, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Isle of Wight, Middlesex, Merionethshire, Middlesex, Mid-west Yorkshire, North Ebudes, North Essex, North Hampshire, North Somerset, North-east Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, South Northumberland, Shropshire, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, Surrey, West Lancashire, West Norfolk, West Suffolk, Westmorland and Worcestershire (NBN Atlas).

See also British leafminers distribution.

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corsica, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Romania, Russia - Central and Northwest, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: