Macedonian Grayling vs Firethorn Leaf Miner

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Macedonian Grayling Firethorn Leaf Miner
Scientific Name Pseudochazara cingovskii Phyllonorycter leucographella
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Gracillariidae
Size 4-5 cm wingspan 7-8 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions North Macedonia Southern Europe, spreading north
Conservation Critically Endangered Least Concern

Macedonian Grayling

A rare grayling butterfly found only on a few limestone hillsides in North Macedonia. It flies low over rocky ground in midsummer.

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Did You Know?

Its total known range covers less than 10 square kilometers of stony hillside.

Firethorn Leaf Miner

A tiny moth whose larvae create blister mines on pyracantha leaves. Originally from southern Europe, it has spread rapidly northward. Mines cause silvery blotches on leaves.

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Did You Know?

First recorded in Britain in 1989 and spread across the country within a decade on planted pyracantha hedges.