Scrobipalpula diffluella

Scrobipalpula diffluella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Gelechiidae
Genus:	Scrobipalpula
Species:	S. diffluella
Binomial name
Scrobipalpula diffluella (Frey, 1870)[1]
Synonyms
Gelechia diffluella Frey, 1870 Gnorimoschema diffluellum Gelechia cacuminum Frey, 1870 Scrobipalpula cacuminum Gnorimoschema uniflorellum Klimesch, 1957 Lita diffluella Heinemann, 1870 Phthorimaea diffluella var. bellidiastri Klimesch, 1951

Scrobipalpula diffluella, the Essex groundling, is a moth of the Gelechiidae family. It is found in northern Europe (from Norway to Latvia and Finland), and central Europe (the Alps). There are scattered records from Great Britain and the Balkan Peninsula.^[2]

The wingspan is 11–12 mm.^[3]

The larvae feed on Aster alpinus, Aster amellus, Aster bellidiastrum, Erigeron acer (including subspecies politus), Erigeron uniflorus and Homogyne alpina. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a linear corridor, but becomes a blotch later. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.^[4] Larvae can be found in June. They are light green with a light brown head.

References

1. Fauna Europaea
2. Junnilainen, J. et al. 2010: The gelechiid fauna of the southern Ural Mountains, part II: list of recorded species with taxonomic notes (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Zootaxa, 2367: 1–68. Preview
3. Hants Moths
4. bladmineerders.nl