Hantsmoths

Common in oak woodland and areas with scattered trees throughout much of the British Isles. In Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight reasonably well-distributed, but perhaps still under-recorded. Wingspan 10-13 mm. Easily confused with C. robustella, from which it can only safely be separated by dissection of the genitalia; both feed on oak, but C. alchimiella is probably univoltine with a protracted emergence period, while C. robustella is bivoltine. The adult rests by day on trunks, flies in the evening and comes sparingly to light; more frequently recorded in the larval stage, when mines are relatively easy to find where they are present. Larva mines leaves of Oak, subsequently living within a leaf-fold, over-wintering as a pupa.