Phyllonorycter messaniella
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The European oak leaf-miner or Zeller's midget (Phyllonorycter messaniella) is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is found in Europe south of the line running from Ireland, through Great Britain, Denmark to Ukraine. It is also found in Macaronesia. It is an introduced species in New Zealand and Australia.
The wingspan is 7–9 mm. The forewings are light golden ochreous; a whitish dark-margined median streak from base almost to middle; four costal and three dorsal shining white wedge-shaped spots, dark-margined anteriorly and first pair except towards origin posteriorly, first dorsal very long, reaching opposite apex of second costal; a black apical dot. Hindwings are grey. The larva is yellow, paler anteriorly; dorsal line dark green; head brownish.
Adults are on wing from April to November in a number of generations. The larvae feed on Carpinus betulus, Castanea sativa, Fagus sylvatica, Prunus, Quercus ilex, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Quercus suber, Quercus x turneri and Tilia species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Oak Leafminer sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 46 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 150th most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September and November–June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Oak Leafminer in Auckland on a given day, against under 5% in July–August and October, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate European Oak Leafminer sightings, Auckland ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same family: Gracillariidae
The closest relatives of the European Oak Leafminer that you can see in Auckland (family Gracillariidae, Leaf Blotch Miner Moths) are Echium Leaf Miner (about 10%), Acrocercops leucotoma (about 10%) and Conopomorpha cyanospila (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Oak Leafminer is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (46 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
