About Phyllonorycter messaniella (Zeller, 1846)
Phyllonorycter messaniella (Zeller, 1846), commonly known as the European oak leaf-miner or Zeller's midget, is a moth species in the family Gracillariidae. This species is distributed across Europe south of a line stretching from Ireland, through Great Britain and Denmark, to Ukraine. It is also native to Macaronesia, and has been introduced as an established species to New Zealand and Australia. The wingspan of adult moths measures 7–9 mm. The forewings are a light golden ochreous color, with a whitish median streak with dark edges that runs from the base of the wing almost to its middle. There are four wedge-shaped, shining white spots on the costal edge, and three on the dorsal edge; all these spots have dark margins on their anterior side, and all except the first pair have dark margins towards their posterior side, excluding the area near the spot origin. The first dorsal spot is very long, and reaches the point opposite the apex of the second costal spot. There is a single black apical dot on the forewing, and the hindwings are plain grey. Fully developed larvae are yellow overall, with a paler shade towards the anterior end, a dark green dorsal line, and a brownish head. Adults of this species are active in flight between April and November, producing multiple generations per year. The larvae feed as leaf miners on the leaves of a range of host tree species: Carpinus betulus, Castanea sativa, Fagus sylvatica, Prunus species, Quercus ilex, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Quercus suber, Quercus × turneri, and Tilia species.
