About Leucoptera malifoliella (Costa, 1836)
Leucoptera malifoliella, commonly known as the pear leaf blister moth, ribbed apple leaf miner, or apple leaf miner, is a moth in the Lyonetiidae family found across all of Europe. This species has a wingspan of approximately 8 millimetres (0.31 in). It can be distinguished from the related species Leucoptera lotella by several features: its forewings are broader, its post-tornal spot is pale violet-golden with distinct black margins on both sides, the apex of the wing is orange, and the penultimate bar in the cilia is horizontal. The larvae are greenish-white, with a blackish head and blackish second thoracic segment plate. Adult moths are active on the wing from June to July. The larvae feed on the leaves of Alnus incana, Amelanchier ovalis, Aronia, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Chaenomeles japonica, Cotoneaster integerrimus, Crataegus crus-galli, Crataegus monogyna, Cydonia oblonga, Malus baccata, Malus domestica, Malus floribunda, Malus sylvestris, Mespilus germanica, Prunus avium, Prunus cerasus, Prunus domestica, Prunus fruticosa, Prunus insititia, Prunus spinosa, Prunus subhirtella, Pyrus communis, and Sorbus aucuparia, and they create mines inside the host plant leaves.
