15.051 Phyllonorycter lantanella (Viburnum Leaf-miner)
ws: 8-9mm; bivoltine May, Aug; wayfaring-tree (Viburnum lantana); locally common in SE&SC.England & SE Wales
Phyllonorycter lantanella §1 female (image by Bill Crooks)
ID: Forewing markings appear white on a coloured background; C1D1 not forming a complete transverse fascia; thorax with a white median line; 4C3D; strigulae and basal streak with black edging; angle between anterior borders of C1 and D1 90° or more > P.lantanella/P.anderidae.
D3 is small, doesn't reach the cilia and could be overlooked in this species; however the only species to key here as 4C2D (P.distentella) has larger strigulae, a basal streak with limited or no black edging and white terminal cilia. §1 would key as P.quinqueguttella due to the apex of C1 being distal to the apex of D1: this seems to be somewhat variable in P.lantanella, but most often the apices appear level. P.quinqueguttella is excluded as the wing base has costal, dorsal and central white streaks while §1 lacks the costal streak. In P.anderidae C1 and D1 usually form a complete transverse fascia, but the two strigulae can be slightly separated, in which case it can be distinguished from P.lantanella by having D3 reaching the terminal cilia, no dark terminal line and having whitish rather than pale brown terminal cilia.
Male genitalia:
Female genitalia:
D3 is small, doesn't reach the cilia and could be overlooked in this species; however the only species to key here as 4C2D (P.distentella) has larger strigulae, a basal streak with limited or no black edging and white terminal cilia. §1 would key as P.quinqueguttella due to the apex of C1 being distal to the apex of D1: this seems to be somewhat variable in P.lantanella, but most often the apices appear level. P.quinqueguttella is excluded as the wing base has costal, dorsal and central white streaks while §1 lacks the costal streak. In P.anderidae C1 and D1 usually form a complete transverse fascia, but the two strigulae can be slightly separated, in which case it can be distinguished from P.lantanella by having D3 reaching the terminal cilia, no dark terminal line and having whitish rather than pale brown terminal cilia.
Male genitalia:
Female genitalia:
§1 Dagenham, Essex; 13/08/2026; female; fw 3.3mm; specimen provided by Bill Crooks
All images © Chris Lewis
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 13/09/2026 (§1)
