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.
Distribution Map for Elachista atricomella
Found 25 records
↳ 1 from After 2025
↳ 8 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 16 from Before 2020
↳ 1 from After 2025
↳ 8 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 16 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 – Elachista atricomella
⚠️ 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:
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
Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required
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%
CUSUM Analysis: Elachista atricomella
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 16 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 2016, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2012, 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 atricomella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Elachista atricomella
Elachista atricomella
( 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 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 2020-2025.
Records Behind the Map and Charts - Elachista atricomella – 25 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladycroft Ave, Buxton | SK07S | 13/06/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| upper cromford garden | SK25Y | 07/08/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Gnat Hole Rough Fields | SK09L | 07/08/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Hague Street, Hay meadow | SK09G | 23/07/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 24/06/2023 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Hague Street, Hay meadow | SK09G | 01/06/2023 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Hague Street, Hay meadow | SK09G | 21/08/2022 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Main Street, Kings Newton | SK32Y | 12/08/2020 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Ladycroft Ave, Buxton | SK07S | 05/08/2020 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Pleasley Pit CP, Pleasley | SK46X | 21/07/2019 | 1 | adult | Danes_2019-2021 |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 04/06/2016 | 2 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 11/08/2015 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 07/08/2015 | 2 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 09/07/2015 | 2 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Backgarden Marehay | SK34Z | 25/07/2012 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Bamford St,Ripley | SK34Z | 25/07/2012 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Backgarden Marehay | SK34Z | 09/06/2012 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Bamford St,Ripley | SK34Z | 09/06/2012 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Markeaton Park (Sturgess Field), Derby | SK33I | 26/05/2012 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 28/07/2010 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 28/07/2010 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 12/06/2010 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 12/06/2010 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 12/06/2010 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Backgarden Marehay | SK34Z | 11/06/2010 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |