Wingspan 9 to10 mm. It cannot be separated from other Parornix species without dissection. The larva mines the leaves of Birch, initially creating a narrow inconspicuous gallery leading to small tentiform mine with a brown lower epidermis; later feeding in a folded leaf-edge or tip. Pupation is in leaf-fold on on ground.  The larvae are whitish with 4 dark spots on the pronotum, as is typical of Parornix species.

Phyllonorycter also make tentiform mines in which they pupate, unlike Parornix.  Caloptilia species on birch also mine and fold leaves in a similar way but the larvae do not have the 4 black spots

Adult Leafmine

Photograph under-surface of tentiform mine, folds in leaves, and larvae. Note host species

Heaths and open woodland.

The adults fly in May and August.

The larvae later feed within downward folds, usually at the tip of the leaf, pupating in this site or on the ground. The mines can be found in June and again in September to October and are commonest on birch seedlings.

Widespread and fairly frequent in Britain. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

It appears to be uncommon in Leicestershire and Rutland, where there are few records. L&R Moth Group status = D (rare or rarely recorded).

http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/P.betulae.htm

https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gracillarioidea/gracillariidae/gracillariinae/parornix/parornix-betulae/