Local in oak woodland in the south-east of England, extending in decreasing numbers northwards and westwards to Lincolnshire, Herefordshire and Cornwall (MBGBI Vol 3). In Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight widely distributed and fairly common throughout. Wingspan 10-14 mm. Thoroughly confused with
C. betulella in the past. Like many of the
Coleophora, imagines are virtually impossible to identify without recourse to dissection, and the larvae, which live in cases of characteristic form and which can sometimes be found on the foodplant, may be easier to identify by comparison against a reference collection. Larva mines leaves of Oak, subsequently living within a movable pistol-case.