Bucculatrix thoracella

Description

Bucculatrix thoracella is a moth of the family Bucculatricidae. It is found in most of Europe (except Ireland, the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkan Peninsula) and Japan (the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu). The wingspan is 6–8 mm. Adults are on wing in June and sometimes again in August. The larvae feed on Acer campestre, Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus, Aesculus hippocastanum, Alnus, Betula, Carpinus betulus, Fagus sylvatica, Sorbus, Tilia cordata, Tilia platyphyllos and Tilia tomentosa. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a small, full depth, hook-like corridor, usually in a vein axil, with a proportionally large larval chamber. The remainder of the mine is almost entirely filled with frass. The larvae soon leave their mine and start living free on the leaf.