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Scrobipalpa instabilella — Larva • Flint Castle salt marsh, Flintshire. April 2003. On Halimione portulacoides • © Ian Smith

35.114 BF812

Scrobipalpa instabilella

(Douglas, 1846)

Wingspan 12-14 mm.

A species of saltmarshes and other muddy habitats around the coasts of England, it is also known from North Wales, Ireland and rarely in Scotland. T

he adult is variable, sometimes showing a rufous tinge around the black dots on the forewing. The moths are on the wing during May to July.

A number of foodplants have been recorded, but sea purslane (Halimone portulacoides) seems to be one of the most frequent.

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Larva: (description: I.F. Smith.):
Foodplant: Halimione portulacoides (Sea purslane), March to May in whitish swollen mine with ejection hole for frass, or in loosely spun leaves. Locally abundant on salt marshes.
Length: 12mm final instar.
Head: Light brown mottled with mid-brown, posterior edge black, rounded black mark postero-laterally, black crescent in stemmatal area, frons edged by fine black line, clypeus white, labrum dark brown. Or, head black.
Prothoracic shield: Shiny light brown, marked blackish at posterior, translucent showing black edging on posterior of head.
Thoracic legs: Shiny black.
Body: Yellow tinted grey-green, reddish dorsal line, broader subdorsal reddish line, faint thin reddish subspiracular line.
Spiracles: Peritreme dark brown.
Pinacula: Small (larger on segment A9), slightly paler than integument with prominent black setal spot.
Setae: Transparent colourless.
Anal plate: Yellowish brown.
Prolegs: Coloured as abdomen, with dark brown crochets.