Photo © Mike Wall

Phyllonorycter emberizaepenella

Checklist Number
15.076 [B&F: 0354]

Verification
Record will normally be accepted but photo evidence may be required - check with CMR if not sure of identity

Classification

Family:Gracillariidae
Subfamily:Lithocolletinae
Genus:Phyllonorycter
Species:emberizaepenella
Authority:(Bouché, 1834)

Local, in woodland, scrub and hedgerows, throughout Britain, rarely in Ireland. In Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight, just about annual, but very rare away from the coast, where recorded in recent years only from Fleet and in the Itchen Valley, although possibly under-recorded. Wingspan 9-10mm. Forewing has a ground colour of light brown. There are four costal and five dorsal white strigulate, the first two pairs meeting to form distinct fascia, the first of which is irregular and varying in width, and the second pair form an obtuse angled or smooth outward-facing fascia; the third pair nearly meet at an acute angle; the fourth pair are opposite and separated from the third by a small patch of dark brown scales; dorsal 5 is immediately below apical patch. The basal streak is short and sinuate, reaching first fascia, and fascia are lightly edged with brown.

The larva mines leaves of Honeysuckle and Snowberry, forming a very large mine underside the leaf: the lower epidermis is gathered into strong folds puckering the leaf, but it does not twist as per P. trifasciella. The moth is bivoltine, generally flying in spring and late summer.
All information from MoGBI Vol.2

The abundance in each month is indicated as follows:

No records
Very occasional
Irregular
Uncommon
Off-peak, but not unusual
Off-peak, but not unusual
Main flight time
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Adult
Larval

Records by week (adult)

Records by week (larval)

VC10 Isle of Wight

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Bouldnor (SZ38)1920-K G Blair-
Luccombe (SZ57)07/06/1972oneRichard J DicksonAdult
Seagrove Bay (SZ69)26/11/1995-David BiggsPupal
Seagrove Bay (SZ69)26/11/1999-David BiggsLarval
Osborne (SZ59)27/08/2000oneDavid BiggsMine (vacated)
Newport (SZ48)09/12/2001-David BiggsMine
Newport (SZ58)09/12/2001-B Shepard-
Porchfield (SZ49)02/10/2010-M CotterillMine (vacated)
St. Saviour's graveyard (SZ38)22/10/2011twoDave CookeMine
St. Saviour's graveyard (SZ38)04/11/2017threeDave CookeMine
Ventnor (SZ57)16/10/2020-Iain OutlawMine
Inglewood Dismantled Railway (SZ57)06/11/2022oneIain OutlawMine

VC11 South Hampshire

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Highcliffe (SZ29)1970-E H Wild-
Havant Thicket (SU71)02/10/1980-J R Langmaid, P H SterlingMine
Botley Wood (SU50)10/09/1987-J R Langmaid, D H SterlingMine
Botley Wood (SU50)28/08/1990-Richard J DicksonMine
Botley Wood (SU50)30/09/1991-J R Langmaid, R J DicksonMine
Emer Bog NR (SU32)27/10/1991-J R Langmaid, D J L AgassizMine
Emer Bog NR (SU32)26/10/1993oneJ R Langmaid, D H SterlingMine
Hamble (SU41)01/09/1995-David G GreenLarval
Hamble (SU41)07/10/1996-J R Langmaid, A M Emmet, A M DavisMine
Portsmouth (SU60)26/07/2002oneIan ThirlwellAdult
Portsmouth (SU60)19/07/2003oneIan ThirlwellAdult
Southsea (SZ69)27/07/2003oneJ R LangmaidAdult
Chandlers Ford (SU42)2006-Brian ElliottMine
Ashurst, NF (SU31)25/07/2014oneKeith GodfreyAdult
Titchfield Common: Kites Croft LNR (SU50)15/10/2022twoDan HoughtonMine
Titchfield Common (SU50)17/10/2022threeDavid WallaceMine

VC12 North Hampshire

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Pamber Forest (SU66)1940-D W H Ffennell-
Basingstoke (SU64)28/10/1994-Tony DobsonLarval
Wildhern (SU35)1997-David G GreenLarval
Wildhern (SU35)26/09/1997-David G GreenLarval
Basingstoke (SU65)01/10/1998-Tony DobsonMine
Fleet (SU85)24/12/2005threeRob EdmundsPupal
Fleet (SU85)21/07/2006-Rob EdmundsLarval
Weston Colley (SU53)24/07/2010oneDavid G GreenAdult
Weston Colley (SU53)07/08/2010oneDavid G GreenAdult
Weston Colley (SU53)18/09/2010-David G GreenLarval
Yateley Common (SU85)23/10/2022oneBen DaleMine