38.025 BF597 – Cock's-foot Miner – Elachista atricomella – (Stainton, 1849)
Adult Micro: CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species – Leaf-miner: CAT L – The leaf or a Photo required – 
Larval Case: C1 – Distinctive Species –
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Larval Case: C1 – Distinctive Species – – click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines 
– Rare / Uncommon / Scarce 
– Leaf-miner
– care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required. Confusion Species: E.alpinella
ID pointers: Head dark grey with forewing blackish brown, mottled paler with an oblique creamy cross-band from the costa at one-third to the dorsum before one-half. A creamy white triangular tornal spot, with another mark opposite on the costa.
Distribution: (First record: 1960 ) – (Last record: 7 August 2024 at Glossop ) – Likely to be uncommon but widespread in Derbyshire, but only 1 record to 1960. Possibly isolated colonies, on Cocks-foot (Dactylis glomerata).
General Comment: None Mine Period Additional: Mines the leaves of grasses in this case cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomerata), forming a thin whitish mine.
Mine ID Difficulty: Not Recorded
Mine Type/s: Not Recorded
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: None.
*** Last updated on 7 November 2025 by RP ***
Last Recorded Year: 2024
First Recorded Year: 1960
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Glossop
Selected Images: Kings Newton, Derbyshire – Will Soar© / Christian Heintzen 2023
Image Gallery
No gallery images found for this moth.
Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 2010 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
Distribution Map for Elachista atricomella
Found 29 records
↳ from 2026+
↳ 12 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 17 from Before 2020
↳ from 2026+
↳ 12 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 17 from Before 2020
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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 atricomella
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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.
Monthly Records By Year:
Elachista atricomella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year:
Elachista atricomella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Elachista atricomella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]
Shading shows moth presence between dates
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Recordings By Year: Elachista atricomella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Elachista atricomella
AGR: -1.02% | Total % Change: -14.3%
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Elachista atricomella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Elachista atricomella
Elachista atricomella
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 2020-2026.
Mine Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Elachista atricomella
Elachista atricomella
( 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 2020-2026.
Records Behind the Map and Charts - Elachista atricomella – 29 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Recorder | Source | RecordKey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hathersage | SK28F | 08/08/2025 | 1 | adult | Kydd, Alan | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC45069422 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 12/07/2025 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC47544671 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 30/06/2025 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC47544480 |
| Ladycroft Ave, Buxton | SK07S | 13/06/2025 | 1 | adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC42555616 |
| upper cromford garden | SK25Y | 07/08/2024 | 1 | adult | Ashton, Clive | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC37755757 |
| Glossop, Gnat Hole Rough Fields | SK09L | 07/08/2024 | 1 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC38472932 |
| Glossop, Hague Street, Hay meadow | SK09G | 23/07/2024 | 1 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC38130687 |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 24/06/2023 | 1 | Adult | Mahadevan, Nikki | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34929871 |
| Glossop, Hague Street, Hay meadow | SK09G | 01/06/2023 | 1 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC36336093 |
| Glossop, Hague Street, Hay meadow | SK09G | 21/08/2022 | 1 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC36335059 |
| Main Street, Kings Newton | SK32Y | 12/08/2020 | 1 | Adult | Soar, Will | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34060093 |
| Ladycroft Ave, Buxton | SK07S | 05/08/2020 | 1 | adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35095709 |
| Pleasley Pit CP, Pleasley | SK46X | 21/07/2019 | 1 | adult | HILL, Mr B.J.N. | Danes_2019-2021 | 1277 |
| Ladycroft Ave, Buxton | SK07S | 14/07/2018 | 1 | adult | Steve A. Orridge | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC49168425 |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 04/06/2016 | 2 | Adult | Mahadevan, Nikki | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34908662 |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 11/08/2015 | 1 | Adult | Mahadevan, Nikki | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34907926 |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 07/08/2015 | 2 | Adult | Mahadevan, Nikki | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34907912 |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 09/07/2015 | 2 | Adult | Mahadevan, Nikki | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34907864 |
| Backgarden Marehay | SK34Z | 25/07/2012 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33511049 |
| Bamford St,Ripley | SK34Z | 25/07/2012 | 1 | Adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP875 |
| Backgarden Marehay | SK34Z | 09/06/2012 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33510161 |
| Bamford St,Ripley | SK34Z | 09/06/2012 | 1 | Adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COY33 |
| Markeaton Park (Sturgess Field), Derby | SK33I | 26/05/2012 | 1 | Adult | BUDWORTH, Mr D., PATRICK, Mr P., CLARKE, Mr D.A., | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP0CE |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 28/07/2010 | 1 | Adult | D. Grundy | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COTGO |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 28/07/2010 | 1 | Adult | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP66F |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 12/06/2010 | 1 | Adult | D. Grundy | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP5D0 |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 12/06/2010 | 2 | Adult | D. Grundy | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP5DA |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 12/06/2010 | 1 | Adult | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP5DP |
| Backgarden Marehay | SK34Z | 11/06/2010 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33514553 |