Opostega salaciella - Christian Heintzen
5.001 BF119  – Sorrel Cap  – Opostega salaciella  – (Treitschke, 1833)
Adult Micro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive species unlikely to be confused with others –      
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Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce   
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Opostegidae  >> Oposteginae
Other Name/s: Sorrel Bent-wing
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Elachista argentella
ID pointers: A tiny species with head, eye-caps and forewing white
Distribution:  (Last record: 16 July 2024 at Glossop )  –  It is generally distributed widely but locally throughout most of Britain.Accurate status is unknown in Derbyshire as there are very few records. Suspected to be uncommon and local with only two or three records each year.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: June /  July –  On the wing during the day in June – July Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Tony Davison, Christian Heintzen  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: c10mm
Food Plant: Sheep’s Sorrel
Last Recorded Year: 2024
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Glossop

IMAGES BELOW:  Glossop, Derbyshire – Christian Heintzen / Melbourne, Derbyshire – Tony Davison

 
 


Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 2007 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
This chart summarises all available historical occurrence records collated by ISO week of the year. It reflects recorder effort and sampling distribution as well as true biological activity, and should be interpreted as an indicative pattern of seasonal occurrence rather than a statistically controlled abundance or phenology model.

Distribution Map for Opostega salaciella

Found 21 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ 15 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 6 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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 – Opostega salaciella

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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: Opostega salaciella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Opostega salaciella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )

First/Last Recorded Dates: Opostega salaciella
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: Opostega salaciella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Opostega salaciella
AGR: -3.78%   |   Total % Change: -50%

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Opostega salaciella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Opostega salaciella

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.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Opostega salaciella – 21 records available

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

Site Name Tetrad Date Count Stage Recorder Source RecordKey
Shaw Farm, New Mills VC SJ98Y 12/08/2025 1 adult Hind, Steve vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44526555
Ladycroft Ave, Buxton SK07S 23/07/2025 1 adult Orridge, Steve vc57_irecords_extract iBRC43856249
Belper SK34U 18/07/2025 1 adult Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC43630281
upper cromford garden SK25Y 07/07/2025 1 adult Ashton, Clive vc57_irecords_extract iBRC43156856
Darwin Forest SK26X 05/07/2025 1 adult Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC43066128
upper cromford garden SK25Y 25/06/2025 1 adult Ashton, Clive vc57_irecords_extract iBRC42672617
upper cromford garden SK25Y 15/08/2024 1 adult Ashton, Clive vc57_irecords_extract iBRC37933918
Clover Close, Elvaston SK43B 29/07/2024 3 adult Bryce, Marion vc57_irecords_extract iBRC38104435
Glossop, Hague Street SK09G 16/07/2024 1 adult Heintzen, Christian vc57_irecords_extract iBRC38130533
Hollinsclough (Leycote) SK06N 17/06/2024 1 Adult Moores, Stephen vc57_irecords_extract iBRC36487000
Belper SK34N 15/08/2023 1 adult Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC35305752
Hathersage, Derbyshire, UK SK28F 14/06/2023 2 adult Miles, Claire vc57_irecords_extract iBRC31059529
Hathersage, Derbyshire, UK SK28F 21/06/2022 1 adult Miles, Claire vc57_irecords_extract iBRC28797582
Hathersage, Derbyshire, UK SK28F 26/07/2021 1 adult Miles, Claire vc57_irecords_extract iBRC29829089
Hathersage, Derbyshire, UK SK28F 02/07/2021 1 adult Miles, Claire vc57_irecords_extract iBRC29737643
Main Street, Kings Newton SK32Y 08/09/2016 1 Adult Soar, Will vc57_irecords_extract iBRC34059778
Carvers Rocks area, Hartshorne, Swadlincote SK32G 27/06/2016 1 Adult Dave Budworth vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001COYZU
Melbourne, Derbyshire SK32X 05/07/2014 1 adult Davison, Tony vc57_irecords_extract iBRC33087934
Midway Rd,Midway,Swadlincote SK32A 13/07/2013 1 Adult M.J. Williams vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001CP90J
Dovedale SK15K 01/08/2011 1 Adult D. Grundy vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001CP7F5
Lathkill Dale (open dale west of main ash woodland), Bakewell SK16X 11/08/2007 2 Adult Dave Budworth;N.J. Ward;W. Soar vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001COZV4

 
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