35.066 BF735  –  Gelechiidae –  Anomologinae – Monochroa tenebrella – Burnished Sorrel Moth – (Hübner, [1817]) Adult Micro:  CAT 3 – Very rare or scarce species (includes very scarce adventives/immigrants) – confusion with leaf mines       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Brown –  Significant Record / Very Rare / Vagrant         day-flying – Day-flying
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Gelechiidae  >> Anomologinae
** This moth species page is currently incomplete **
Other Name/s: Common Plain Neb
ID Difficulty:  Red – difficult to identify – detailed examination required, often a Gen Det and/or specimen and quality photographs are required.
Confusion Species: Oxypteryx unicolorella (Bronze Neb)
ID pointers: An overall burnished bronzy-golden brown, tinged green and purple, nondescript little moth
Distribution:  (First record: 1916 )  –  (Last record: 10 June 2022 at Buxton )  –  Significant record – Repton 1916; 1 record from Taxal, Whaley Bridge 1955; 10/6/2022 Buxton
General Comment: None
Flight Period: June /  July Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Anthony Marriott  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 11mm
Food Plant: Sheep’s Sorrel
Last Recorded Year: 2022
First Recorded Year: 1916
Last Recorded By – Anthony Marriott
Last Recorded General Area – Buxton

Selected Images:  

Buxton (2022) Anthony Marriott©



Distribution Map for Monochroa tenebrella

Found 3 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ 3 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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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 – Monochroa tenebrella

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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: Monochroa tenebrella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Monochroa tenebrella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

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Recordings By Year: Monochroa tenebrella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Monochroa tenebrella
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Monochroa tenebrella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Monochroa tenebrella
( 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 2020-2026.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Monochroa tenebrella – 3 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
High Peak SKEW, UKSK08F25/06/20251Adultvc57_irecords_extract
TorsideSK09Z19/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
LightwoodSK07M10/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract

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