Larval Case: C1 – Distinctive Species – 
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines 
– Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data 
– Leaf Miner 
– Day-flying
– care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required. Confusion Species: As adult – Monopsis obviella
ID pointers: A pale golden yellow head, with a dark brown forewing that has a purple-bronze sheen. An obvious pale dorsal spot.Three to four pale spots around the termen and the wings are heavily fringed.
Distribution: (Last record: 21 October 2025 at Little Hayfield ) – Appears to be locally common where Harts-tongue Fern is found. A number of colonies discovered at Clake Park & Long Clough – Mines and larvae observed.
General Comment: Notes by Christian Heintzen on image dated 21/10/2025 – on lower surface of Hart’s Tongue (Asplenium scolopendrium) > an untidy heaps of sporangia, occasional feeding on leaf surface > larva with pale brown head and prothoracic plates (a) and colourless anal plate (b)
Mine Period Additional: None.
Mine ID Difficulty:
– Easy to identify, generally the leaf mine is distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species. Mine Type/s: Blotch
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: P. filicivora is easily confused with its close relative, Psychoides verhuella (Hart’s-tongue Moth). The key difference lies in the larva: P. filicivora larvae have a brown head and lack a black anal plate, whereas P. verhuella larvae have a black head. The larva typically hides on the underside of the fern frond. It covers itself in a loose, untidy mass of the fern’s sporangia (spore cases) while feeding. They primarily consume the sporangia and the lower surface of the frond, sometimes creating an irregular blotch mine within the leaf tissue itself.
*** Last updated on 10 December 2025 by TD ***
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Little Hayfield
Selected Images: Buxton, Derbyshire – Steve Orridge © / Larva and Sporangia mass – Calke Park – Graham Finch© / Long Clough and Little Hayfield – Christian Heintzen©
Image Gallery
Distribution Map for Psychoides filicivora
Found 27 records
↳ 7 from 2025+
↳ 16 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 4 from Before 2020
↳ 7 from 2025+
↳ 16 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 4 from Before 2020
If the Map Layers function fails, just refresh the page and it should be OK after. Use the +- zoom on the top left, or on a tablet, use two fingers to zoom. Remember, the last layer you ticked is the one which displays the popup information - they sit on top of each other - de-select then re-select, to see the popup values.
Bedrock Geology ** indirectly affects moth distribution by influencing the type of habitat and food plants available in an area. In turn, this may affect the types of moths that can thrive, or where they can most likely be found.
NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Psychoides filicivora
⚠️ Please wait for the map to load fully – do not click the link shown.
Note – the NBN Atlas datasets are listed in the map below and vary in their currency (uptodateness) – however,
the map does give a general indication of the moth's distribution across the UK.
Monthly Records By Year:
Psychoides filicivora
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year: Psychoides filicivora
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Psychoides filicivora
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]
Shading shows moth presence between dates
Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required
Recordings By Year: Psychoides filicivora
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Psychoides filicivora
AGR: 2.24% | Total % Change: 33.3%
CUSUM Analysis: Psychoides filicivora
About this chart: CUSUM (Cumulative Sum) charts track long-term trends in moth populations [ filtered by 'Adult' and 'Mine' life stages ] by showing whether each year’s counts are above or below the historical average. Even small shifts build up over time, making trends of growth, stability, or decline easier to see. CUSUM highlights trend-consistency — asking: “Across the years, have moth counts mostly stayed above or below average?”
The data sample has 18 gap year/s here (zero records) between 2000 and 2025. The moth may have been present in those gap years, but no data was available. Too many year-gaps may exaggerate or skew the chart.
Counts for the current year (2025) are pro-rated based on data available up to month 10 (October) to provide a full-year equivalent.
ⓘ
Purple line rises = years better than average; falls = years worse than average.
Peak (best year)
Trough (worst year)
Growth periods
Decline periods
Population peaked around 2025, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2024, showing a significant decline.
What the Y-axis "Cumulative Deviation" means: Cumulative Deviation shows the running total of how each year’s moth population count differs from the long-term average. i
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Psychoides filicivora
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Psychoides filicivora
Psychoides filicivora
( data includes Adult Stage only )
Flight Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's flight periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen in flight, from site observation records received between 2020-2025.
Mine Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Psychoides filicivora
Psychoides filicivora
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Mine Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's mine periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen mining, from site observation records received between 2020-2025.
Records Behind the Map and Charts - Psychoides filicivora – 27 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sheffield | SK38M | 05/06/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Belper | SK34U | 30/05/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| upper cromford garden | SK25Y | 22/05/2025 | 3 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| upper cromford garden | SK25Y | 21/05/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Sheffield | SK38M | 20/05/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Sheffield | SK38M | 17/05/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Mbridge at Markham Vale North Tip | SK47L | 02/03/2025 | 3 | larva | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Gnat Hole | SK09G | 31/12/2024 | 1 | Larva | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Pottery Wood | SK32G | 05/11/2024 | 1 | larva | vc57_irecords_extract |
| upper cromford garden | SK25Y | 03/09/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Hathersage | SK28F | 12/08/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Sandiacre | SK43S | 11/08/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Hague Street, Hay meadow | SK09G | 06/06/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| upper cromford garden | SK25Y | 31/05/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| upper cromford garden | SK25Y | 02/05/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Bentinck Drive Clowne Derbyshire | SK57C | 23/04/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Cromford Church, outer wall | SK25Y | 28/12/2023 | 1 | mine (tenant | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Castleton, Hope Valley S, UK | SK18L | 15/04/2022 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Buxton SK, UK | SK07S | 12/10/2021 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Buxton SK, UK | SK07L | 08/06/2021 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Ladycroft Ave, Buxton | SK07S | 07/06/2021 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 21/11/2020 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Not given | SK38M | 27/08/2020 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Shirland-Hallfieldgate Lane | SK35Z | 04/09/2015 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| George St,Belper | SK34N | 14/09/2012 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ticknall Limeyards,Ticknall | SK32R | 22/03/2010 | 2 | Larvae | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| nr Lower Cliffe Farm, Strines Station, New Mills | SJ98T | 15/03/2010 | 1 | Larvae | vc57_danes_bc_data |