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Dyseriocrania subpurpurella
Common Oak Purple
Eriocrania subpurpurella
Wingspan 9-14 mm. The moths have metallic golden wings, lightly speckled with purplish or blue tiny spots. The relatively uncommon form fastuosella is much more richly marked with purple spots or striations.
Leafmine occurs on Oak, care is needed to avoid confusion with fly mines http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/E.subpurpurella2.htm
Woodland areas, and around Oaks
This species is quite an early flyer, being on the wing in April and May, and despite being generally diurnal, is often found in light-traps at night.
The larvae feed internally on leaves of Oak, and create a distinctive 'blotch mine'.
It is common throughout the whole of Britain except the very North of Scotland.
Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = A (common and resident)
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015
UK Map
Species profile
- Common names
- Common Oak Purple
- Species group:
- Moths
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Lepidoptera
- Family:
- Eriocraniidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 53
- First record:
- 23/04/2010 (Skevington, Mark)
- Last record:
- 19/06/2023 (Calow, Graham)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
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