Gelechiidae

35.113 Glasswort Moth Scrobipalpa salicorniae (Hering, 1889)

Notable A

Similar species:

Forewing: 5 to 7mm

Habitats: Coastal salt-marsh.

Habits: The moth flies from dusk and comes to light.

Foodplant: The larva feeds most commonly on glassworts, but has also been recorded from other plants such as Sea Aster, Annual Sea-blite and other sea-blites, Greater Sand Spurrey and other sea spurreys and Common Sea Lavender. When on glassworts the larva feeds amongst spun shoots or if the plant is low or recumbent from a silk gallery on or in the ground. When on sea-blites the larva feed from within a shelter of spun green leaves or shoots and leaves only the colourless remains. When on Sea Aster the larva mines a long gallery, after which it makes separate short, broad, full depth blotch mines. It pupates in the stems of Sea Aster, otherwise it pupates in the leaf litter.