40.003 BF887 – Buff-headed Mompha – Mompha lacteella – (Stephens, 1834)
Adult Micro: CAT 3 – Very rare or scarce species (includes very scarce adventives/immigrants) – 
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
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 
– Significant Record / Very Rare / Vagrant 
– Leaf-miner
– care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required. Confusion Species: Mompha propinquella
ID pointers: As with all the Mompha species they are colourful, attractive and distinctive. They rest low and flat in a horizontal position. Often have scale tufts. Head and thorax pale yellowish brown rather than whitish in M. propinquella. Forewing is greyish-brown to blackish-brown, with pale yellowish-brown basal blotch and several orange-brown marks and two large black scale tufts half way along the wing. Palps show a “bark band” halfway down, as well as one near the tip.
Distribution: (First record: 1927 ) – (Last record: 14 August 2025 at Glossop ) – Nationally Scarce B – With two previous records dating back to 1927 and 3 records in June 2021 at Froggatt and Hathersage and a further record from Buxton in 2022 the status of this species remains as rare and notable. Most probably overlooked. Larvae on Broad-leaved Willow-herb. One from Glossop 14/8/25
General Comment: None Mine Period Additional: The larvae mine the leaves of broad-leaved willowherb (Epilobium montanum)
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: 2025
First Recorded Year: 1927
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Glossop
Selected Images: Froggatt, Derbyshire – Bryan Barnacle© / Hathersage – The late Claire Miles© / Glossop 14/8/25 – Christian Heintzen©
Image Gallery
No gallery images found for this moth.
Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 2021 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
Distribution Map for Mompha lacteella
Found 7 records
↳ from 2026+
↳ 7 from 2020 - 2025
↳ from Before 2020
↳ from 2026+
↳ 7 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 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 – Mompha lacteella
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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:
Mompha lacteella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year:
Mompha lacteella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Mompha lacteella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]
Shading shows moth presence between dates
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Recordings By Year: Mompha lacteella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Mompha lacteella
AGR: 0% | Total % Change: 0%
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Mompha lacteella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Mompha lacteella
Mompha lacteella
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
Mompha lacteella
Mompha lacteella
( 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 - Mompha lacteella – 7 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Recorder | Source | RecordKey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cown Edge Farm marsh | SK09A | 14/08/2025 | 1 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC48740684 |
| Buxton (w) | SK07R | 20/06/2025 | 1 | adult | White, Ian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC42611115 |
| Ladycroft Ave | SK07S | 08/08/2022 | 1 | adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35090512 |
| Hathersage, Derbyshire, UK | SK28F | 29/06/2021 | 1 | adult | Miles, Claire | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC29656583 |
| Hathersage, Derbyshire, UK | SK28F | 09/06/2021 | 1 | adult | Miles, Claire | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC29584327 |
| Hathersage, Derbyshire, UK | SK28F | 09/06/2021 | 1 | adult | Miles, Claire | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC29584443 |
| Birchfield, Jaggers Lane, Hathersage | SK28F | 09/06/2021 | 1 | adult | MILES, Mrs C. | Danes_2019-2021 | 216 |