Quick Facts

Scientific name:  Stigmella aurella

Size:  Wingspan approx 6mm

Distribution:  Found throughout the UK

Months seen:  April to September.  The leaf mines made by the larvae can be found at any time of the year

Habitat:  Hedgerows, woodland edges and bramble thickets

Food:  Larvae feed on bramble leaves

Special features:  The adult moth is grey-brown in colour with a metallic sheen, a yellow head and a pale coloured band running horizontally across each wing.

The yellow-brown coloured larvae excavate serpentine-shaped tunnels just below the surface of blackberry leaves as they feed, known as "leaf mines".  The larvae spend the winter inside the mine, and then come to the surface of the leaf to pupate.

Related Pages

• UK Safari Moths Section
• Identify other wildlife
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