About Phyllonorycter leucographella (Zeller, 1850)
The firethorn leaf miner, Phyllonorycter leucographella, is a moth species that belongs to the family Gracillariidae. It is originally native to southern Europe, including the Mediterranean regions of France, Spain, Greece, Albania, Russia (Crimea), Turkey, and the southern part of former Yugoslavia, where the area containing its main native host plant is located. It was likely accidentally introduced to multiple western European countries via transported plant material. Currently, the species has been recorded as far north as Finland and as far east as Hungary. It was first documented in Great Britain in 1989. Nash et al. (1995) conducted research on the spread of this moth within Great Britain. In addition to the natural spread of the insect, the team identified several separate colonization sites outside the species’ main distribution range that were clearly caused by human activities.
