Elachista adscitella

Description

Elachista adscitella is a moth of the family Elachistidae. It is found in all of Europe, except Iceland, the Balkan Peninsula, Ukraine and Lithuania. The wingspan is 9–11 millimetres (0.35–0.43 in). Adults are pale grey with a whitish head and a white transverse line across the center of the forewing. They are on wing from May to July and again in August in two generations per year. The larvae feed on Brachypodium sylvaticum, Carex elata, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Elymus caninus, Festuca altissima, Festuca drymeja, Festuca gigantea, Melica nutans, Melica uniflora, Milium effusum, Phleum species, Poa chaixii, Poa remota, Sesleria albicans, Sesleria argentea, Sesleria caerulea and Sesleria sadlerana. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a gradually widening corridor. It may run up- or down-wards. The frass is deposited in the first part of the mine. Two to three larvae may occupy a single mine and more than one mine may be found in a single leaf. Larvae can be found from October to the end of May and from mid June to the end of July. Larvae of the first generation hibernate inside the mine.