38.004 BF610  –  Elachistidae – Elachista argentella – Silver Grass-miner – (Clerck, 1759) Adult Micro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive Species –       Leaf-miner:  CAT L – The leaf or a Photo required – reared and possibly dissected       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce        purple – Leaf Miner
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Elachistidae
Other Name/s: Swan-feather Dwarf
ID Difficulty:  green  – easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.
ID pointers: Small and all white making it quite easy to identify.
Distribution:  (Last record: 9 June 2021 at Hathersage )  –  Likely this species is uncommon and under recorded – 33 records 1996 – 2014; (Danes) Hathersage 2021 & 7 records 2018 – 2024 ; (iRecord) 9/7/2024 – Ashford Marble Mill (DMFG)
General Comment: None
Flight Period: May /  June /  July /  August –  On the wing in May early August. Mine Period:  January /  February /  March /  April /  May /  September /  October /  November /  December
Mine Period Additional: Autumn to May – The mine fills the leaf width and appears as a white narrow mine from the tip of the leaf downwards.
Mine ID Difficulty: Not Recorded
Mine Type/s: Not Recorded
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: None.
Moth Activity: Nocturnal  Crepuscular   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Tony Davison  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 11-12mm
Food Plant: Various grasses.
Last Recorded Year: 2021
Last Recorded By – The late Claire Miles
Last Recorded General Area – Hathersage

Selected Images:  Kings Newton, Derbyshire – Tony Davison©



Distribution Map for Elachista argentella

Found 68 records
    ↳ 10 from After 2025
    ↳ 11 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 47 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Mining
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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 – Elachista argentella

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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.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Elachista argentella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Elachista argentella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )


First/Last Recorded Dates: Elachista argentella
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: Elachista argentella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Elachista argentella
AGR: 0.87%   |   Total % Change: 20%


CUSUM Analysis: Elachista argentella
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 8 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 9 (September) 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 2014, 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: Elachista argentella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Elachista argentella
( 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
Elachista argentella
( 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 - Elachista argentella – 68 records available

Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Gang Mine, CromfordSK25X23/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Gang Mine, CromfordSK25X19/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S15/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chee Dale: Station QuarrySK17G17/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
CheeDale Quarry ReserveSK17G17/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Markham Vale DerbyshireSK47K11/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Jim Mart Nature ReserveSK36S10/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
rose end meadowsSK25Y10/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Markham Vale South TipSK47K10/05/20253adultvc57_irecords_extract
Markham Vale South TipSK47K09/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S19/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ashford Marble MillSK16Z09/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Tansley Dale, Litton, DerbyshireSK17S30/05/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S19/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S08/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Buxton SK, UKSK07S21/06/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Orchid WoodSK43L08/05/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Orchid WoodSK43L08/05/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I21/07/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Hathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F09/06/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S15/06/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Hathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F07/07/20191adultvc57_irecords_extract
Hathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F25/06/20191adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I10/06/20181adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y31/05/20171Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S13/06/20142adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S09/06/20141adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S06/06/20143adultvc57_irecords_extract
Millennium Meadow NR, DuffieldSK34L05/06/20141Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z01/06/20141adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S19/07/20131adultvc57_irecords_extract
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z06/07/20131adultvc57_irecords_extract
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z30/06/20132adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft Ave,BuxtonSK07S27/06/20121Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ladycroft Ave,BuxtonSK07S01/06/20121Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Longstone Edge,Great LongstoneSK17W10/06/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ladycroft Ave,BuxtonSK07S07/06/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Buxton SK, UKSK07S04/06/20111Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft Ave,BuxtonSK07S03/06/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z02/06/20111adultvc57_irecords_extract
Bamford St,RipleySK34Z02/06/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ladycroft Ave,BuxtonSK07S17/05/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z09/05/20111adultvc57_irecords_extract
Bamford St,RipleySK34Z09/05/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K30/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K30/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K30/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K25/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K25/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K25/07/20102Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K25/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Biggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P06/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Biggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P12/06/20102Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Biggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P12/06/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Biggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P12/06/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Biggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P12/06/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Biggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P12/06/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K07/06/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K07/06/20102Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K05/07/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Foremark Resr, TicknallSK32H30/05/20061Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y13/07/20051Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y13/07/20051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Church St,Holloway,MatlockSK35I17/06/20051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Carvers Rocks (new plantation),Hartshorne,SwadlincoteSK32G31/05/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Newhall (Nadins field area),SwadlincoteSK22Q16/05/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Borrowash (Canal), Borrowash, DerbySK43C19/07/19961Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Millers Dale (west of Litton Mill)SK17L06/07/19961Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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