This moth belongs to a group called Stigmella which are tiny moths that, as adults are sometimes hard to distinguish between eachother.

There are five species in the UK that are known as the "aurella" group: Stigmella aurella, Stigmella nitens, Stigmella fragariella, Stigmella dulcella and Stigmella gei. These were once described as distinct species; subsequently they were considered to be biological races of Stigmella aurella.

Accounts on this species by various authors has remained inconsistent, making the problem of identifying such species quite hard. Looking at genetalia can help in many hard to identify them as the genetalia in each species is different, but in this case, it didn't really help. Separation of this species from the other four was therefore difficult, given that they use the same or similar foodplants. So some have considered the other four moths, forms of this moth.

For the purpose of this website, I have put the four species as forms of this species as some texts regard them as forms of Stigmella aurella. Also, unless confirmed to be a form of this moth, any adult images that I know are "aurella" that I have got, will go here.

This moth is found in the UK in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland. It is less common in the Scottish Highlands and in the North East of Scotland

In Ireland this moth is known to have been found from most of Ireland, but not so much in the south west of the country. I don't yet have much data for its locations in Northern Ireland, but it has been found in parts of Co Down since the 1970s

In Europe it is widespread and is known to be found in Albania, Austria, Azores, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corsica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dodecanese Is., French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Kaliningrad Region, Lithuania, Madeira, Republic of Moldova, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Sardinia, Sicily, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ukraine and Yugoslavia.

This moth has also been  recorded in East Palaearctic. Since this moth has no real dispause, it cannot survive in areas that have severe winters and prolonged exposure to frost as an adult can kill it.

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Flight Period

Stigmella aurella flies generally in May in one generation and then produces a second generation in the summer that can be seen in August and September. This is throughout the range of where it is found.

In Ireland the earliest record of finding an adult moth was 3rd April in 1981 and the latest was on 28th December in 2002, so it has been known that the moth can be seen from April-December, although there may be periods within this time when the moth is not seen flying. I don't have information on this moth in Northern Ireland, but I assume the flight period is the same or similar.

This table has information on the flight period of the Stigmella aurella. The flight period represents an area as a whole based on overall records of flight times. This may vary in areas within the locations mentioned.

The shaded cells in orange, indicate what months the moth is found as an adult. Half coloured cells indicate the first or second half of a month when the moth flies.

N Ireland is Northern Ireland and S Ireland is South of Ireland and W Ireland is West of Ireland (Any part of Ireland not included in Northern Ireland).

Area

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Europe

Scotland

England

Wales

N Ireland

S Ireland

W Ireland

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