About Caloptilia rufipennella (Hübner, 1796)
Caloptilia rufipennella, commonly known as the small red slender, is a moth species that belongs to the family Gracillariidae. It is distributed throughout Europe. This moth has a wingspan of 11 to 12 millimetres (0.43 to 0.47 in). Its forewings range in color from chocolate brown to copper, and are most often cinnamon red, with a white to yellow-greenish band running along the length of the wings. A small number of specimens have yellow-red forewings marked with tiny black dots. The legs are chocolate brown or black, with a distinct pale band on the foretibia, white mixed coloration on the midfemur, and entirely white tarsi. Larvae are greenish with a light-colored head. Adult moths fly from August through to the following spring. Larvae feed on Acer pseudoplatanus: they first create a short brownish mine on the underside of the leaf, before rolling down the leaf tips.
