Gorse Greenbark-miner Phyllonorycter ulicicolella

Formerly given the vernacular names Gorse Leaf-miner and Gorse Midget.

This species is under-recorded compared to many Phyllonorycter due to the mines being hard to see - indeed the individual below appears to be the first to be recorded within the 10km square or any of the surrounding 10km squares (i.e. mid Norfolk).

This was netted in flight in an area with gorse and birch. Although the external appearance is consistent with this species, and semi-distinctive in having less black edges in the basal two thirds compared to many (but not all) similar species, the identification was based primarily on the genitalia. The shape of the sterigma and signum matched photos of ulicolella at the Moth Dissection website, and I noticed that photos there also showed a dark line along the base of the piece that wraps round the base of the genitalia (8th sternite??), which mine also showed. As the ductus bursae broke during the preparation (very hard to avoid this with this genus) it's not obvious from the photos, but the ductus bursae was quite long, I think longer than in many similar species.

female Gorse Greenbark-miner Phyllonorycter ulicicolella showing genitalia, Hoe Rough (Norfolk, UK), 1st June 2026