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 
– Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data 
– Leaf Miner
– difficult to identify – detailed examination required, often a Gen Det and/or specimen and quality photographs are required. ID pointers: The adult moth is small, with a wingspan of 4-6 mm. It has dark forewings with a purplish sheen, an irregular yellowish fascia (band), and a conspicuous orange head tuft.
Distribution: (Last record: 12 November 2025 at Longdendale ) – National Status – A common species throughout the British Isles. Derbyshire status unknown due to lack of data. Likely to be a common species. Mines found at Longdendale Nov 2025.
General Comment: Notes on image by Christian Heintzen dated 12/11/2025 – on Sallow (Salix) (A,B) > contorted gallery with tendency to form a secondary blotch > frass line broad > oviposition on lower surface, close to vein or leaf margin (B.1- B.3)
Mine Period Additional: June and July then September – November
Mine ID Difficulty:
– Care required in ID process as confusion with similar leaf mines. Quality photos of the mine required. Mine Type/s: Not Recorded
Mine Feeding Method/s: Not Recorded
Mine Comment: Not a straight forward leaf mine species as latest DNA research suggests it is fact a complex of species or clusters. Further research is being done so it is important for now to record the egg position, host plant and details of the mine and the larva. It seems we have three Clusters (1,2,6) each mine three different species of Sallow – Grey Willow (Salix cinerea), Goat Willow (Salix caprea) and Eared Willow (Salix aurita). In Cluster 1 – The egg is on the underside of the leaf (this is the commoner type), in Cluster 6 egg is on upperside of leaf of s.caprea and s. cinerea and in Cluster 2 egg on underside of leaf of s. caprea which tends to mine later in the year. The mine has a broad, short and contorted gallery. Often doubling back creating a false blotch. The frass is broken linear. Found on Salix sp. (Willow). The larva is amber yellow with a brown head.
*** Last updated on 8 December 2025 by TD ***
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Longdendale
Selected Images: Dave Evans – September 2022 – Wyver Lane, Belper. / Norton Lees (August 2025) Pete Mella© / Longdendale 12/11/2025 – Christian Heintzen©
Image Gallery
Distribution Map for Stigmella salicis
Found 29 records
↳ 10 from 2025+
↳ 7 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 12 from Before 2020
↳ 10 from 2025+
↳ 7 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 12 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 – Stigmella salicis
⚠️ 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:
Stigmella salicis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year: Stigmella salicis
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Stigmella salicis
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: Stigmella salicis
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Stigmella salicis
AGR: 4.38% | Total % Change: 180%
CUSUM Analysis: Stigmella salicis
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 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: Stigmella salicis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Stigmella salicis
Stigmella salicis
( 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
Stigmella salicis
Stigmella salicis
( 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 - Stigmella salicis – 29 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longdendale, Trans Pennine Trail, Torside | SK09U | 12/11/2025 | 2 | Leaf-mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Darwin Forest | SK36C | 06/10/2025 | 2 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 09/09/2025 | 3 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Sunnydale LNR | SK33G | 04/09/2025 | 1 | mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 02/09/2025 | 3 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 26/08/2025 | 5 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Meersbrook Park | SK38M | 22/08/2025 | 1 | mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 13/08/2025 | 3 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 06/08/2025 | 3 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 23/07/2025 | 5 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Burton upon Trent | SK32P | 05/11/2024 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Pottery Wood | SK32G | 05/11/2024 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 30/10/2024 | 2 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| River Derwent, Derby | SK33S | 21/09/2024 | 1 | mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| DWT Wyver Lane | SK34P | 12/09/2024 | 1 | mine (empty) | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Poppy Wood | SK32S | 22/11/2023 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Allestree Park | SK34K | 25/09/2022 | 1 | Mine | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Albert Village Lake | SK31D | 21/09/2019 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Millers Dale | SK17G | 03/09/2011 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Bamford | SK28B | 21/09/2010 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ladybower Resr | SK18U | 03/09/2010 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Slippery Stones,Upper Derwent | SK19S | 25/08/2010 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Hopton Wood, Cromford | SK25S | 16/10/2009 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Linacre Wood | SK37G | 13/10/2009 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Coombs Dale,Stoney Middleton | SK27H | 12/10/2009 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Tissington Trail, Ashbourne | SK14T | 01/10/2009 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Carr Vale NR,Bolsover | SK47K | 13/09/2006 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Brackley Gate, nr Coxbench | SK34W | 03/11/2001 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Cubley, nr Ashbourne | SK13U | 04/10/2001 | 1 | Larval Mine | vc57_danes_bc_data |