Caloptilia fidella
Checklist Number15.0115 [B&F: N/A]
Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure
Classification
| Family: | Gracillariidae |
| Subfamily: | Gracillariinae |
| Genus: | Caloptilia |
| Species: | fidella |
| Authority: | (Reutti, 1853) |
Discovered new for Britain in Suffolk on 29 July 2020, with further individals in July 2021, and mines were discovered on the foodplant in August (Ent Rec 133: 5 (2021)). One of the smaller species of Caloptilia, with a wingspan of 11-12mm. While superficially similar in appearance to C. azaleella, which is even smaller, and the larger C. alchimiella. This species has been extending its range across Europe and reached the Low Countries in 2009. The larva mines the leaves of Hop, later making a fold at the leaf-tip in two generations; the moth overwinters as an adult.
