Stigmella oxyacanthella (Stainton, 1854)
common fruit-tree pigmy

Crataegus monogyna, Nieuwendam, 22.x.2011

Crataegus monogyna, Duin en Kruidberg, 11..x.2001
detail

Pyrus communis, Belgium, prov. Hainaut, Tournai, RN de la Carrière de l’Orientm 22.viii.2016 © Stéphane Claerebout
mine
Long corridor, that widens only little, and winds freely through the leaf, not influenced by the venation. In thick, sun-exposed leaves the mine may be much shorter, especially in Cotoneaster, Malus and Pyrus. Frass brown, in arcs.
host plants
Rosaceae, oligophagous
Amelanchier ovalis; Chaenomeles (?); Cotoneaster integerrimus, multiflorus; Crataegus azarolus, chrysocarpa, coccinea, crus-galli, douglasii, laciniata, laevigata, x lavalleei, monogyna, pentagyna, rivularis, spathulata; Crataemespilus dardari, grandiflora; Cydonia oblonga; Malus angustifolia, astracanica, baccata, coronaria, domestica, floribunda, fusca, parviflora, ringo, sylvestris; Mespilus germanica, punctata; Prunus armeniaca, avium, spinosa; Pyrus betulifolia, communis, elaeagrifolia. spinosa; Sorbus aucuparia.
At least in the Netherlands Crataegus is the most important hostplant.
phenology
Larvae in September – October.
BENELUX
BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).
LUX recorded (Ellis, Kautenbach).
distribution within Europe
From Scandinavia and Finland to Portugal, Italy, and Bulgaria, and from Ireland to Middle Russia (Corley EA, 2006a; Fauna Europaea, 2009).
larva
synonyms
Nepticula oxyacanthella; N. cotoneastri Sorhagen, 1922; N. oxysorbi Skala, 1933; Stigmella aeneella auct.
Probably also Nepticula chaenomelis Skala 1936 is a synonym of oxyacanthella (van Nieukerken, 1986a); the species is described after a larva and mine on Chaenomeles. Other, reared, material of this hostplant is not known.
references
Ahr (1966a), Amsel & Hering (1931a), Bengtsson (2008a), Borkowski (1969a), Buhr (1935a,b, 1964a), Buszko & Baraniak (1989a), J Černý (2001a), Corley, Maravalhas & Passos de Carvalho (2006a), Diškus & Stonis (2012a), Drăghia (1971a, 1972a), Emmet (1971a, 1983a), van Frankenhuyzen & Houtman (1972a), van Frankenhuyzen Houtman & Kabos (1982a), Gustafsson (1985a), Gustafsson & van Nieukerken (1990a), Haase (1942a), Hartig (1939a), Hering (1921a,b, 1934a, 1957a), Huber (1969a), Huemer (1985a, 1988a), Huemer & Erlebach (2003a), Johansson ao (1990a), Klimesch (1936a, 1948a, 1950c, 1958c), Klimesch & Skala (1936c), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuhchlein & de Vos (1999a), Kurz (2016a), Laštuvka & Laštuvka (1997a), Lhomme (1934c), Maček (1999a), Michalska (1970a), Michna (1975a), van Nieukerken (1986a, 2006a), van Nieukerken, Laštuvka & Laštuvka (2006a), van Nieukerken, Zolotuhin & Mistchenko (2004a), Nowakowski (1954a), Popescu-Gorj & Drăghia (1968a), De Prins (2007a), De Prins & Steeman (2011a, 2014a), Robbins (1991a), Schoorl, van Nieukerken & Wilkinson (1985a), Schütze (1931a), Sefrová (2005a), Skala (1939a, 1951a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sønderup (1949a), Steuer (1995a), Szőcs (1968a, 1977a, 1978a, 1981a), Yefremova & Kravchenko (2015a), Zoerner (1969a, 1970a).