40.010 BF893  –  Momphidae – Mompha epilobiella – Buff Mompha – ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) 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
Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce        purple – Leaf Miner
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Momphidae
Other Name/s: Common Mompha
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  M.ochraceella
ID pointers: A distinctive little moth that rests low and flat in a horizontal position. The wings are held roof like and curl slightly around the body. Giving it a slightly tapered appearance. Forewing colour is a creamy yellowish with darker yellowish-brown markings. a faint costal spot at three quarters. Several very small scale tufts along the dorsum.
Distribution:  (Last record: 25 August 2024 at Cromford )  –  Appears to be locally widespread but not common despite it being common nationally wherever the food-plant occurs. Just scattered records
Flight Period: January /  February /  March /  April /  May /  June /  July /  August /  September /  October /  November /  December /  –  On the wing throughout the year. Hibernates  – Larvae mine the leaves of Willowherbs Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Tony Davison  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 26 July 2025 by TD ***
Wingspan: 10-13mm
Food Plant: Various Willowherbs
Last Recorded Year: 2024
Last Recorded By – Clive Ashton
Last Recorded General Area – Cromford

IMAGES BELOW:  Melbourne, Derbyshire – Tony Davison©

no images were found

Distribution Map for Mompha epilobiella

Found 14 records
    ↳ 3 from After 2025
    ↳ 4 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 7 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.

******* 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 – Mompha epilobiella

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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: Mompha epilobiella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Mompha epilobiella
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: Mompha epilobiella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Mompha epilobiella
AGR: 1.38%   |   Total % Change: 33.3%


CUSUM Analysis: Mompha epilobiella
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 18 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 7 (July) 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: Mompha epilobiella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Mompha epilobiella
( 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
Mompha epilobiella
( 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 - Mompha epilobiella – 14 records available

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

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Mompha epilobiellaDerby DESK33I202505/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mompha epilobiellaBelper, DerbyshireSK34N202525/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mompha epilobiellaDerby DESK33I202527/06/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mompha epilobiellaupper cromford gardenSK25Y202425/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mompha epilobiellaForbes Hole LNRSK43W202419/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mompha epilobiellaBirch ValeSK08I202123/07/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mompha epilobiellaMelbourne, DerbyshireSK32X202029/07/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mompha epilobiellaMain Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y201817/07/20181Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mompha epilobiellaBackgarden MarehaySK34Z201521/05/20151adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mompha epilobiellaFar Cross,Cavendish Park,MatlockSK36A200701/11/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Mompha epilobiellaMiddle Peak Quarry, WirksworthSK25X200507/06/20051Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Mompha epilobiellaMain Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y200425/03/20041Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mompha epilobiellaHolme Hall, Cutthorpe, nr ChesterfieldSK37L199416/08/19941Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Mompha epilobiellaHolme Hall, Cutthorpe, nr ChesterfieldSK37L199420/08/19941Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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