Stigmella salicis - Dave Evans
4.035 BF68  – Sallow Dot  – Stigmella salicis  – (Stainton, 1854)
Adult Micro:  CAT 4 – Dissection required – Gen-Det-Reqd       Leaf-miner:  CAT L – The leaf or a Photo required – reared and possibly dissected       Larval Case:  C1 – Distinctive Species –      
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Black – Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data        purple – Leaf-miner
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Nepticulidae  >> Nepticulinae
Other Name/s: Sallow Pigmy
ID Difficulty:  Red – 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)
Flight Period: April /  May /  July /  August –  April and May and again in July – August Mine Period:  June /  July /  September /  October /  November
Mine Period Additional: June and July then September – November
Mine ID Difficulty:  Amber Mine Leaf – 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.  
 – but can be disturbed during the day Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Dave Evans, Pete Mella, Christian Heintzen  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 8 December 2025 by TD ***
Wingspan: 4-6mm
Food Plant: Three species of Sallow preferring the rough leaved varieties.
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©

 
 


Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 2019 - 2019)  |  Immatures: (between 2001 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)

Distribution Map for Stigmella salicis

Found 29 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ 17 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 12 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Mining
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 – Stigmella salicis

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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: 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%

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Stigmella salicis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Stigmella salicis

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
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 2020-2026.

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 Recorder Source RecordKey
Longdendale, Trans Pennine Trail, Torside SK09U 12/11/2025 2 Leaf-mine Heintzen, Christian vc57_irecords_extract iBRC47521390
Darwin Forest SK36C 06/10/2025 2 mine (empty) Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC45819785
DWT Wyver Lane SK34P 09/09/2025 3 mine (empty) Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC45208283
Sunnydale LNR SK33G 04/09/2025 1 mine Shervill, Andrew vc57_irecords_extract iBRC45091047
DWT Wyver Lane SK34P 02/09/2025 3 mine (empty) Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC45019574
DWT Wyver Lane SK34P 26/08/2025 5 mine (empty) Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44786056
Meersbrook Park SK38M 22/08/2025 1 mine Mella, Pete vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44861703
DWT Wyver Lane SK34P 13/08/2025 3 mine (empty) Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44440593
DWT Wyver Lane SK34P 06/08/2025 3 mine (empty) Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44213046
DWT Wyver Lane SK34P 23/07/2025 5 mine (empty) Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC43746821
Pottery Wood SK32G 05/11/2024 1 Mine Finch, Graham Leonard vc57_irecords_extract iBRC41038946
Burton upon Trent SK32P 05/11/2024 1 Mine Finch, Graham Leonard vc57_irecords_extract iBRC41038899
DWT Wyver Lane SK34P 30/10/2024 2 mine (empty) Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC39056471
River Derwent, Derby SK33S 21/09/2024 1 mine Neil Gregory vc57_irecords_extract iBRC38567726
DWT Wyver Lane SK34P 12/09/2024 1 mine (empty) Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC38431865
Poppy Wood SK32S 22/11/2023 1 Mine Finch, Graham Leonard vc57_irecords_extract iBRC35107046
Allestree Park SK34K 25/09/2022 1 Mine Finch, Graham Leonard vc57_irecords_extract iBRC35105359
Albert Village Lake SK31D 21/09/2019 1 Adult Timms, Sue vc57_irecords_extract iBRC11812652
Millers Dale SK17G 03/09/2011 1 Larval Mine S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001COU5O
Bamford SK28B 21/09/2010 1 Larval Mine K. McCabe;S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001COTQD
Ladybower Resr SK18U 03/09/2010 1 Larval Mine S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001COXJ2
Slippery Stones,Upper Derwent SK19S 25/08/2010 1 Larval Mine S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001CP6J8
Hopton Wood, Cromford SK25S 16/10/2009 1 Larval Mine Dave Budworth;S.A. Orridge;S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001COT0F
Linacre Wood SK37G 13/10/2009 1 Larval Mine S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001CP54N
Coombs Dale,Stoney Middleton SK27H 12/10/2009 1 Larval Mine S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001CP54B
Tissington Trail, Ashbourne SK14T 01/10/2009 1 Larval Mine Dave Budworth;S.A. Orridge;S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001CP05R
Carr Vale NR,Bolsover SK47K 13/09/2006 1 Larval Mine S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001CP3NF
Brackley Gate, nr Coxbench SK34W 03/11/2001 1 Larval Mine S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001COR0O
Cubley, nr Ashbourne SK13U 04/10/2001 1 Larval Mine S.H. Hind vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001CP1FA

 
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