Diagnosis. Differs from the somewhat similar S. salicis and S. myrtilella in having the broader fascia, markedly paler antennae and distinct yellowish white fascia. See also S. floslactella.
Male. Wingspan: 5.0-6.0 mm. Head: frontal tuft pale ochreous; collar pale yellow; scape white; antenna reaching three-fifths of forewing, yellowish white, pale grey towards tip. Thorax dark grey. Forewing area proximal to fascia dark brownish grey without metallic lustre; fascia distinct, relatively broad, faintly shining pale yellow; distal to fascia blackish grey with faint violet or bluish lustre; terminal cilia yellowish white, pale grey at tornus; near base of underside of forewing a conspicuous patch of dark brown scales. Hindwing pale grey, slightly darker towards apex, basal third of costal area brown; cilia pale grey. Abdomen dark grey, anal tufts yellowish grey. Female. Wingspan: 5.0-6.0 mm. Antenna half as long as forewing. Basal half of forewing grey-brown, slightly paler than in male; fascia broader. Abdomen with long yellowish white anal tufts. Male genitalia. Vinculum with relatively deeply emarginate anterior margin. Uncus broad, hind margin weakly dentate. Gnathos with long horizontal bar and widely separated horns. Aedeagus shorter than genital capsule; with 30-35 large, broad cornuti and large number of weakly sclerotized small spines. Female genitalia. Corpus bursae large, almost completely covered with pectinations and with a broad, distinct band of denticles. Accessory sac small. Ductus spermathecae markedly shorter than corpus bursae. Apophyses long, anteriores and posteriores of subequal length.
Host plant: Carpinus betulus. Egg: on the underside of a leaf, at a rib, usually in the angles of the midrib. Larva: pale yellow. Mine : an irregular gallery, much shorter and broader than that of S. microtheriella; in the first fourth the frass forms an irregularly interrupted line, in the rest of the mine frass is less densely scattered in the centre, leaving the margins free. Cocoon: white to pale yellow.
In Denmark from B, in Sweden from Sk. and Bl. Not in Norway and Finland. - Scattered throughout central and west Europe.
Voltinism: bivoltine; larvae from June to the beginning of July and August to late in the autumn. Imago in May and July-August.
Description based on Johansson and Nielsen (1990)