Incurvariidae

08.001 Pale Feathered Cutter Incurvaria pectinea Haworth, 1828

Local

Similar species:

Forewing: 6 to 8mm

Habitats: Deciduous woodland, heathland and breckland.

Habits: The moth flies in morning sunshine and often at other times of the day. It can be found sitting on trunks and the tops of wooden posts. It will come to light.

Foodplant: The larvae form blotch mines on the leaves of birches, apples, Hornbeam, Hazel, Small-leaved Lime and other limes. There may be many blotches on a leaf. The larva cuts a case from the blotch and then descends to the ground to eat dead leaves and occasonally live leaves from the tree. The original leaves on the tree are left full of holes. It pupates in its case in the leaf litter.

On mainland Europe it has also been recorded feeding on Alder, Acer spp., Prunus spp., pears, whitebeams and dogwoods.