Diagnosis. The palest and one of the smallest species, pale pattern usually predominant, also abdomen almost completely white. Male can only be confused with specimens of S. trojana or basiguttella with extensive pale pattern. The darker females can also be confused with S. zangherii or dorsiguttella (the latter are pale-headed!), but they have a darker abdomen and usually a darker wing pattern; the ovipositor of macrolepidella is also pointed. Male genitalia very characteristic with the long cornuti anteriorly, the bilobed uncus processes and shape of valva. Female genitalia with spines in posterior half of accessory sac, rather similar to S. szoecsiella, but ovipositor pointed.
Description. Male. Forewing length 1.8-2.1 mm, wingspan 3.9-4.7 mm. Head: frontal tuft bicolorous: on crown almost black, on frons yellowish white; collar white. Scape white. Antenna white, relatively long, almost 3/4 forewing length, with 31-41 segments. Thorax and forewing ground colour yellowish white, partly covered with coarse dark brown scales, leaving extensive pale patches, in particular a basal spot, a large costal spot before middle and an elongated dorsal stripe beyond midlength, but occasionally almost completely dark, cilia pale yellow; underside grey-brown with darker margins, no androconial scales. Hindwing grey, no androconial scales. Abdomen almost completely yellowish white to grey, with whitish anal tufts inserted on well sclerotized plates, genitalia narrow.
Female. Forewing length 1.8-2.1 mm; wingspan 3.8-4.6 mm. Antenna shorter, with 25-31 segments. As male, but forewing usually with more distinct pattern than male, abdomen pale, with remarkable protruding ovipositor, no anal tufts.
Male genitalia. Vinculum anteriorly slightly bilobed. Uncus with posterior processes well separated, each bilobed. Gnathos with separated slender posterior processes. Valva without distal process, inner margin with a slight bulge in middle, valval tip at inner side dentate, ending in ca 2 teeth; sublateral processes less than half transtilla length. Aedeagus cylindrical; vesica with ca 3-4 long and strong cornuti anteriorly, slightly curved at tip, of about half aedeagus length, a large number of smaller cornuti and in posterior half longer needle like ones; near phallotrema one big triangular tooth at right side; manica small, only covering distal 1/3 of aedeagus, covered with small spines.
Female genitalia. Apophyses long and slender, forming a protruding ovipositor. Accessory sac almost globular, in posterior half with 3-4 more or less wrinkled sclerotizations set with numerous spines of varying size; ductus spermathecae with 4-5 convolutions after a long straight part.
Hostplants. Quercus ithaburensis subsp. macrolepis, in Israel, possibly on Q. ithaburensis subsp. ithaburensis.
Leafmine. A contorted gallery, initially filled with frass, later leaving clear margins. Egg on leaf upperside.
Greece: North, Peloponnesos (Z. & A. Laštuvka1998), Rodos, Turkey (new record), possibly Israel: Haifa (as Waldheim) (Amsel & Hering 1931), who recorded empty mines on Q. ithaburensis subsp. ithaburensis (as Q. aegilops).
Life-history. Bivoltine or with more generations. Larvae found in September; adults found in May, June, August and reared in September-October.
This taxonomic description is based on Van Nieukerken (2003).