Scrobipalpa atriplicella

Description

Scrobipalpa atriplicella, the goosefoot groundling moth, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found from most of Europe throughout Asia to Kamchatka and Japan. It is an introduced species in North America. The wingspan is 10–14 mm. There are two generations per year with adults on wing in May and again from July to August. The larvae feed on Atriplex laciniata, Atriplex patula, Atriplex prostrata, Atriplex tatarica, Beta vulgaris, Chenopodium album, Chenopodium ficifolium, Chenopodium hybridum, Chenopodium murale, Chenopodium quinoa and Halimione portulacoides. The young larvae mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is irregular corridor-like or blotch-like, it is created from within a silken tube. The mines contain little to no frass. The larvae have a greenish yellow body and yellowish brown head. They can be found in June and from September to October.