European Oak Leafminer

European Oak Leafminer

Phyllonorycter messaniella

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Melbourne

In 3 days ~10%

6 Verified sightings at Melbourne
June Best month

About the European Oak Leafminer

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 →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Auckland 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
3 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
4 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a European Oak Leafminer in Melbourne?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Oak Leafminer sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 748th most-seen of the 875 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a European Oak Leafminer in Melbourne?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Oak Leafminer in Melbourne on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Is Melbourne the best place to see a European Oak Leafminer?

4th of 4

Of the 4 cities where we can rate European Oak Leafminer sightings, Melbourne ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 10%), Auckland (New Zealand, about 10%) and London (United Kingdom, under 5%).

Where does the European Oak Leafminer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the European Oak Leafminer is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (6 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.

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