Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner vs Mountain Stonefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Mountain Stonefly
Scientific Name Cameraria ohridella Protonemura montana
Order Lepidoptera Plecoptera
Family Gracillariidae Nemouridae
Size 7-8 mm wingspan 6-10 mm body length
Habitat Underground Mountains
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Originally Balkans, now across Europe Europe, Alps, British mountains
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner

A tiny moth that has devastated horse chestnut trees across Europe since its discovery in 1985. Larvae mine inside leaves causing brown blotches. Spread with extraordinary speed across the continent.

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Did You Know?

Spread across the entire European continent in just 20 years, one of the fastest insect invasions ever recorded.

Mountain Stonefly

A small brown stonefly common along mountain brooks and streams. Nymphs feed on fallen leaves in cold, well-oxygenated water.

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Did You Know?

Its presence is an indicator of excellent water quality in mountain streams.