Wingspan 7 to 9 mm. The markings of this species are white, chestnut brown and black. The larva only mines the leaves of Grey Alder (Alnus incana), causing a narrow strongly contracted tube-like mine between two veins.

Adult is similar to several other species and gen det is necessary to confirm identification.

Adult Leafmine

Photograph the leaf with the mine, and ensure you have noted the species of alder.

Found in areas where Grey Alder is present.

The moth is bivoltine, flying in May and late July and August.

The larval foodplant is Grey Alder. The mines formed by the larva are long and narrow. Often there are several to one leaf, and have a distinct brown tinge.

This moth occurs in widely separated colonies around its foodplant Grey Alder. It is known from a few isolated places ranging from north-west Britain, through Wales and down to East Anglia and southern Britain. It can be locally very common where it occurs. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland where the Sapcote record of 29th August 2013 is the first record of an adult in VC55, the previous record being of a larval mine (2009). L&R Moth Group status = D (rare or rarely recorded).

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

https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gracillarioidea/gracillariidae/lithocolletinae/phyllonorycter/phyllonorycter-strigulatella/