Although described by Martynova in 1955 from some of the Soviet satellite countries in Asia, in Europe this had long been considered as a sub-species of Phyllocnistis saligna until a paper by Liska et al in 2018 presented morphological and genetic differences which proved that asiatica was a separate species resident in the Czech Republic. Since then the moth was quickly confirmed by DNA analysis from most other northern European countries, some from specimens going back as far as 1980, and was added to the UK list using an adult reared from a larva found on Salix alba at Wicken Fen, Cambs in August 2018. The first for our region was confirmed on 23 June 2024 at Westcott, Bucks (not yet mapped).

The moth's appearance is very similar indeed to Phyllocnistis saligna and calls into question earlier records of that species. Adult females (only) can be identified by dissection. Differences, if any, in their leaf-mines is still a work in progress.

	Determination by Genitalia Examination (gen. det.) Required

Additional Stats

Exit iRecord