Stigmella samiatella

Alternative names
Chestnut Dot
Chestnut Pigmy
Description

Wingspan 5 to 7 mm. This tiny purple-bronze moth is a member of the unicolorous ruficapitella group of Nepticulidae.

Identification difficulty

Adult Leafmine if on Sweet Chestnut (needs to be reared through if on Oak).

ID guidance

Leafmine occurs on Sweet Chestnut and on Oak.http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.samiatella.htm

Habitat

Where the larval foodplants occur.

When to see it

Adults in June and from July to August.

Life History

The larva creates a quite long and contorted gallery mine in oak (Quercus) or sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), with the frass in a narrow central line towards the last quarter of its length. There are two generations, creating leaf mines in June/July and September/October.

UK Status

This species was until recently poorly recorded in Britain. As more studies have been undertaken, it has been found to be more widely present than previously thought. In the Butterfly Conservation’'s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.

VC55 Status

It appears to be uncommon in Leicestershire and Rutland, where there are few records. L&R Moth Group status = D (rare or rarely recorded).

Reference
4.062 BF88

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Chestnut Pigmy
Species group:
Moths
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Nepticulidae
Records on NatureSpot:
44
First record:
03/06/2014 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
01/11/2023 (Graves, Hazel)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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