Diagnosis. Differs from all other species of Levarchama by the dark forewings with a costal and dorsal spot, sometimes united as a fascia. Within European Trifurcula this colour pattern is unique. Other Nepticulidae with this colour pattern may be confused, but differ by the generic characters. Male genitalia almost inseparable from T. manygoza, cornuti markedly smaller than in T. cryptella: 49-75 μm.
Recorded from several Lotus and Dorycnium species, which, according to recent phylogenetic studies, belong to one clade (Allan et al. 2003). Here for the first time recorded from Dorycnium rectum and Lotus cytisoides. The leafmines of T. eurema can usually be distinguished from sympatric T. cryptella by the habit of the larva to spin the cocoon inside the mine. However, occasionally populations or parts thereof do not pupate inside the mine. This may be caused by climatic conditions.Cocoon: ochreous to brown, usually made in the mine, but sometimes spun on leaf-litter or soil.
Distribution. Widespread throughout Europe, very similar to T. cryptella, northwards to southern Norway (Aarvik et al. 2004) and Sweden, but not in Finland, Poland and the Baltic states. In West Ireland, scattered in Scotland and England, further from Netherlands: Terschelling (Kuchlein et al., 1988), East Germany: Thüringen (Hering, 1960), Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, southern France, Spain, Italy, Yugoslavia and Greece. More widespread and common in the Mediterranean region than cryptella and also common on the larger Mediterranean islands and eastwards to Bulgaria (Buszko & Beshkov 2004), Asiatic Turkey and Ukraine (new record). In this area not yet recorded from: Albania, Belgium, Bosnia, Rumania and Serbia-Montenegro.
Life history. T. eurema has at least two broods annually, probably more in southern Europe, where larvae can also be found in winter.
This taxonomic description is based on Van Nieukerken (2007).