Gracillariidae

15.024 Northern Birch Parornix Parornix loganella (Stainton, 1848)

Notable B

Similar species:

Forewing: 4.5 to 5mm

Habitats: Birch woodland, heathland, glens and the lower slopes of mountains.

Habits:

Foodplant: The early stages are indistinguishable from Parornix betulae which forms a gallery mine on the lower side of a birch leaf. This later becomes an upper surface blotch and the lower side of the leaf becomes discoloured brown. It then makes two successive downward folds at the tip of the leaf or on the leaf margin. On Dwarf Birch the last whole leaf is folded into a pod.