Yorkshire Status: Fairly common resident.

Stigmella samiatella was first discovered in the county in 1996, when moths at Rossington were dissected. We do not know how long it has been present. It was first admitted to the British list in 1952 on the basis of a vacated mine. This was subsequently deemed unsafe and the first definite record was as recently as 1975. It has probably been around for much longer. We now have confirmed records from all five vice-counties and it is likely to be one of the commonest Stigmella species feeding on oak - it is certainly the commonest one to appear in light traps when these moths are dissected. The problem is that it cannot be safely identified as a mine, even when tenanted, so the adult should be bred out and dissected. It also mines sweet chestnut, and currently mines on this food plant are acceptable if they are typical of this species, though it is not impossible that some of the other species may yet be proven to feed on it. The egg is usually laid on the underside of the leaf, though occasionally on the upperside, almost always close to a thick vein. The mine is a fairly long, rather slender corridor. The frass is in a broad, often interrupted central band and may be coiled. The mine is quite variable. It resembles a rather short mine of Stigmella svenssoni.

Verification Grade Comment: If on sweet chestnut otherwise needs breeding out and dissecting

	Determination by Genitalia Examination (gen. det.) Required

	Mine: Moth needs to be reared and, in some cases, possibly dissected.

Recorded in 24 (12%) of 200 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1988. Last Recorded in 2023. Additional Stats

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