35.091 BF841  –  Gelechiidae –  Gelechiinae – Sophronia semicostella – White-streaked Snout – (Hübner, [1813]) Adult Micro:  CAT 2 – Confusion Species –       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce   
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Gelechiidae  >> Gelechiinae
** This moth species page is currently incomplete **
Other Name/s: White-shouldered Groundling
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Pleurota bicostella (Heath Streak)
ID pointers: A very strong white costal streak and distinctive banded cilia, especially in fresh specimens
Distribution:  (Last record: 8 January 2011 at Dovedale )  –  All records come from one location, Dovedale – August 1927 (Harrison & Sterling) – 2009-2011 16 records (DaNES) – all were attracted to MV Light
Flight Period: June /  July /  –  Active in afternoon and dusk when they attracted to light Moth Activity: Cathemeral   – and is attracted to light Photographed: No –  Photographed By: Not Recorded
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 18-19mm
Food Plant: Sweet vernal-grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum)
Last Recorded Year: 2011
Last Recorded By – D.Grundy (DaNES)
Last Recorded General Area – Dovedale

Selected Images:  



Distribution Map for Sophronia semicostella

Found 16 records
    ↳ 0 from After 2025
    ↳ 0 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 16 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 – Sophronia semicostella

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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.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Sophronia semicostella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
No data returned from the database.

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Sophronia semicostella
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: Sophronia semicostella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Sophronia semicostella
AGR: -65.13%   |   Total % Change: -87.8%


CUSUM Analysis: Sophronia semicostella
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 23 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 8 (August) 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 2009, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2011, 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: Sophronia semicostella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Sophronia semicostella
( 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.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Sophronia semicostella – 16 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
DovedaleSK15K01/08/20112Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K01/08/20112Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K01/08/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K11/07/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K11/07/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K11/07/20112Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K25/07/20102Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K25/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K05/07/20104Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K05/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K05/07/20103Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K30/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K30/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K05/07/200911Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K05/07/200918Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K05/07/20098Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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