Stigmella oxyacanthella

Stigmella oxyacanthella is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is found from Fennoscandia to the Pyrenees, Italy and Bulgaria, and from Ireland to central Russia.

Stigmella oxyacanthella mine

The wingspan is 5–6 mm.The head is rust yellow, collar white. Antennal eyecaps white. Forewings are shiny bronze brown basal to the tip which has a steel blue shimmer. Hindwings grey.

Adults are on wing in June in one generation.

The larvae feed on Amelanchier ovalis, Cotoneaster integerrimus, Cotoneaster multiflorus, Crataegus azarolus, Crataegus chrysocarpa, Crataegus coccinea, Crataegus crus-galli, Crataegus douglasii, Crataegus laciniata, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus x lavalleei, Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus pentagyna, Crataegus punctata, Crataegus rivularis, Crataegus spathulata, Crataemespilus arnieresi, Crataemespilus grandiflora, Cydonia oblonga, Malus angustifolia, Malus x astracanica, Malus baccata, Malus coronaria, Malus domestica, Malus floribunda, Malus fusca, Malus parviflora, Malus ringo, Malus sylvestris, Mespilus germanica, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus avium, Prunus spinosa, Pyrus amygdaliformis, Pyrus betulaefolia, Pyrus communis, Pyrus elaeagrifolia, Sorbus aucuparia. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a 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 significantly shorter.