38.029 BF600  –  Elachistidae – Elachista luticomella – Yellow-headed Grass-miner – (Zeller, 1839) Adult Micro:  CAT 2 – Confusion 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
Black – Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data        purple – Leaf Miner
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Elachistidae
Other Name/s: Yellow-headed Dwarf
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Elachista albifrontella,
Elachista atricomella.
ID pointers: An attractively marked little moth that favours grassland. A yellow head, overall blackish grey with varying spots/blotches of creamy white, and can show a cross-band at one third from wing base. Can be confused with Elachista albifrontella & Elachista atricomella.
Distribution:  (First record: 1952 )  –  (Last record: 31 May 2024 at Staunton Harold Reservoir )  –  No reported records since 1952, until c12 were sweep-netted at Staunton Harold Reservoir on 31st May 2024. Two were taken for Genitalia Determination, by Graham Finch, and were identified to this species. Suspect the species is common, just over-looked. If in doubt with ID then CAT 4 applies.
Flight Period: June /  July /  August /  –  On the wing in the evening during June-August  Mine Period: January /  February /  March /  April /  May /  September /  October /  November /  December /   – Long white gallery mine Moth Activity: Crepuscular   – active from dusk into the night Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Graham Finch  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 7 May 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 10-11mm
Food Plant: Cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomerata).
Last Recorded Year: 2024
First Recorded Year: 1952
Last Recorded By – Graham Finch
Last Recorded General Area – Staunton Harold Reservoir

IMAGES BELOW:  Staunton Harold Reservoir, Derbyshire – Graham Finch©

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Distribution Map for Elachista luticomella

Found 4 records
    ↳ 0 from After 2025
    ↳ 0 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 4 from Before 2020

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******* Choose ONLY one at a time, of either Monad, Tetrad or Hectad Distribution - each has it's own set of data. Also, the distribution maps cover ALL recorded data. *******

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.

Land-cover * shows the variety of land-cover within the VC57 area, based on the CORINE (Coordination of Information on the Environment) forty-four thematic classes of land-cover. This will show, to a greater or lesser degree, the number and variety of moths found in different land-cover types. The UK continues to operate within the Copernicus programme, with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) providing Corine Land Cover (CLC) datasets for the UK and its territories.


NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Elachista luticomella

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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.

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Monthly Records By Year: Elachista luticomella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
No data returned from the database.

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Elachista luticomella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

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Recordings By Year: Elachista luticomella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Elachista luticomella
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%
Elachista luticomella
Insufficient records/data for an AGR analysis
Years Analysed: 2000 – 2025
Elachista luticomella
Insufficient records/data for a CUSUM analysis
Years Analysed: 2000 – 2025

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Elachista luticomella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Elachista luticomella
( 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 luticomella
( 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 luticomella – 4 records available

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

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Elachista luticomellaTideswell DaleSK17L200709/06/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Elachista luticomellaCunning Dale, Buxton (site not precise)SK07W199707/07/19971Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Elachista luticomellaSlagmill Plantation, Beeley Moor (site not precise)SK36E199717/06/19971Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Elachista luticomellaCrich Chase (canal area), Ambergate (site not precise)SK35L199426/06/19941Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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