Diagnosis. See E. alnifoliae for differences with that species.
Externally very similar to albifasciella complex and preisseckeri, but with generally lighter appearance. E. ilicis and heringella can be separated by the absence of a costal spot, and androconial scales in male heringella. E. suberis can be distinguished by the straighter fascia and by the presence of a hair-pencil in male and hairy abdomen tip in female. Females of andalusiae are very similar to haraldi, and can only be identified with certainty by genitalia. Male genitalia very characteristic by shape of valva with bulgy outer margin. Female genitalia characterised by wide T8 and wide, rounded S8.
Description. Male. Forewing length 2.99 - 3.32 mm (3.07 ± 0.13, 8), wingspan 6.2 — 7.1 mm. Head: frontal tuft light yellow to yellowish orange; collar similar. Antennae with 35 — 42 segments (37.8 ± 2.4, 8). Thorax brown, sometimes mesoscutum with white tip. Forewings brown, with a white dorsal spot in middle, and a costal spot before middle, sometimes united to form a fascia. Hindwing without hair-pencil, but with costal bristles.
Female. Forewing length 2.56 — 2.88 mm (2.75 ± 0.13, 10), wingspan 5.8 — 6.5 mm. Antennal segments 27 — 31 (29.1 ± 1.5, 8). Female distinctly smaller than male.
Male genitaha. Capsule length 266—300 µm (286.3 ± 14.7, 5). Tegumen rounded. Gnathos with central element divided, distal part truncate, basal part with serrate margin. Valva length 193 — 206 µm (201.4 ± 5.2, 5), outer margin bulging distally, inner margin basally straight or convex, from 1/3 distinctly concave, tip pronounced, pointed. Aedeagus 274 — 283 µm (279.4 ± 3.6, 5), carinae varying from single to multifurcate.
Female genitalia. T7 with only few short setae along anterior margin of T8, not in distinct rows. T8 with two lateral groups of scales and 3 — 5 setae each; posterior margin almost straight, lateral corners pronounced, rounded; S8 broadly rounded. Anal papillae with 14 — 23 setae. Vestibulum with vaginal sclerite, a dorsal spiculate pouch, and a group of densely packed pectinations near the entrance of ductus spermathecae. Corpus bursae 570 — 825 µm, without pectinations; signa dissimilar, longest 363 — 577 µm (460 ± 56, 11), shortest 308—495 μm (402 ± 48, 11), 4.0—5.4 x as long as wide. Ductus spermathecae with 2 indistinct convolutions.
Larva. Whitish, opaque, with distinct brown ganglia. Head-capsule and prothoracic plate dark brown. Ventral plates absent.
Hostplants: evergreen oaks Quercus ilex L., Q. rotundifolia Lam., Q. suber L. and Q. coccifera L. (Van Nieukerken 1985; Nieukerken et al. 2004a; 2006). Mine often not separable from other gallery mines (E. algeriensis, coscoja, ilicis, pseudoilicis, alnifoliae), but compared with these usually less contorted, occupying a larger area of the leaf and somewhat larger.
Here recorded new for Morocco, Greece: Crete and Turkey. Widespread in southern France, occurring along Atlantic coast up to Angoulème, further recorded from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. Apparently the most widespread Ectoedemia species feeding on evergreen oaks.
Life history. Throughout distribution area univoltine, with larvae January to March and adults flying from April to late June.
This taxonomic description is based on Van Nieukerken (1985) and Van Nieukerken et al (2010).