Diagnosis. Separated from all other Rosaceae feeding Ectoedemia by costal spot (or costal part of fascia) placed distinctly before middle of forewing; in addition separated from angulifasciella complex by absence of hair-pencil in male. Externally similar to albifasciella-complex and preisseckeri, but separated by shining silver spots on forewing and absence of costal bristles in male. Male genitalia characterised by shape of valva, with almost posteriorly directed tip, and undivided, smooth gnathos.
Description. Male. Forewing length 1.76—2.28 mm (2.05 ± 0.19, 13), wingspan 4.1 — 5.0 mm. Head: frontal tuft ferruginous, or orange, sometimes becoming fuscous towards crown; collar yellowish white, lighter than frontal tuft. Antenna with 33 — 41 segments (36.1 ± 2.3, 10). Thorax and forewings blackish, with shining silvery white spots, one slightly before middle on costa, one in middle on dorsum, with sometimes a small spot in between, less commonly united to form a fascia (ab. juncta). Hindwing without hair-pencil or costal bristles.
Female. Forewing length 1.88 — 2.52 mm (2.23 ± 0.22, 12), wingspan 4.1—5.6 mm. Antennae with 25 — 30 segments (27.5 ± 1.4, 8).
Male genitalia. Capsule length 189—223 µm (206.6 ± 13.7, 5). Tegumen distinctly produced into slightly truncate pseuduncus. Gnathos with broadly spatulate, undivided, smooth central element. Valva length 150—180 µm (158.6 ± 13.2, 5), gradually narrowing into pointed tip, which points almost posteriorly; inner margin approximately straight. Aedeagus 223—253 µm (238.2 ± 14.1, 5), with pointed, single carinae.
Female genitalia. T7 with a distinct row of 4 — 10 long setae along posterior margin. T8 trapezoid, with two lateral patches of scales and 3 — 5 setae. Anal papillae with 6 — 11 setae. Vestibulum with vaginal sclerite, a spiculate pouch (sometimes indistinct) and a dense patch of pectinations near entrance of ductus spermathecae. Corpus bursae 440 — 690 μm, covered with pectinations, except anterior part, especially closely set near vestibulum; signa similar, 300—369 µm (326.8 ± 24.9, 12), 3.9— 5.6 x as long as wide. Ductus spermathecae with 2½ — 3 convolutions.
Larva. Dirty grey, but more yellowish in early stages; ganglia conspicuous. Head capsule dark brown. Ventral plates absent.
Hostplants: mainly evergreen Rubus species: mainly R. ulmifolius Schott. and R. sanctus Schreb. (sometimes regarded as synonyms). Mine. Egg on upperside against midrib or vein. Early mine narrow gallery, following vein, often turning back, completely filled with blackish frass; finally widening into elongate blotch, with dispersed black frass in basal part, or at sides. Leaves often stained red around mine.
Essentially a mediterranean species, which is abundant and widely distributed throughout the mediterranean region, both along coast and inland, although it has still to be recorded from many places. Distributed along French Atlantic coast as far as the south coast of England, where it can only be found within a short distance of the sea (Emmet, 1976), as a consequence of its supposed vulnerability to frost. The species has been recorded from Switzerland, where it might occur in Tessin, but it certainly does not occur in Austria as erroneously indicated by Emmet (1976) (Klimesch, in litt.). Recorded for Sardinia and Turkey. Earlier records from Greece and Tunisia based on leafmines are confirmed by reared adults.
Larvae found from autumn throughout winter, September to April, again in July; adults in April to July. In the northern part of its range certainly univoltine, possibly with more generations in parts of the mediterranean.
This taxonomic description is based on Van Nieukerken (1985) and Van Nieukerken et al (2010).