Hantsmoths

Nationally scarce (Nb) on waste ground throughout much of England, rare elsewhere. In Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight recorded from all three vice-counties, but only really common from Southsea, where records extend to Lee-on-the-Solent in the west and Eastney in the east; elsewhere, recorded from Selborne in the north of the county and Newtown on the Island. Wingspan 13-15 mm. Has been confused with S. nitentella, dark specimens of which can usually be distinguished from S. atriplicella by the greyish buff rather than blackish grey appearance; some forms of S. instabilella and S. samadensis approach S. atriplicella, but the stigmata are usually more distinct in the former two species, whereas S. samadensis does not have the mottled appearance of S. atriplicella; often can only reliably be separated from these species by dissection of the genitalia (MBGBI Vol 4 part 2). Larva mines leaves of Goosefoot and Orache, living within a spinning, over-wintering as a pupa.

VC10 Isle of Wight

VC11 South Hampshire

VC12 North Hampshire