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Scrobipalpa instabilella
Scrobipalpa instabilella, Talacre, North Wales, June 2012
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Gelechiidae
Genus:	Scrobipalpa
Species:	S. instabilella
Binomial name
Scrobipalpa instabilella (Douglas, 1846)
Synonyms
Anacampsis instabilella Douglas, 1846 Gelechia instabilella Gnorimoschema instabilellum Lita lagunella Chrétien, 1910 Lita strobilacella Caradja, 1920 Lita salsolella Amsel, 1933 Phthorimaea halymiphaga Amsel, 1952

Scrobipalpa instabilella, the saltern groundling, is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by John William Douglas in 1846. It is found in on the Canary Islands, in Algeria, Ireland, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Greece, Cyprus and Palestine. It is also present in the United States, where it has been recorded from California.

The length of the forewings is 5.6–6 mm (0.22–0.24 in). The forewings are uniform lustrous, brownish grey, with scattered ochreous scales and a weak indication of two linear rust coloured stigmata in the cell. The hindwings are pale grey. Meyrick describes it - The head ochreous-grey, face whitish. Terminal joint of palpi as long as second. Forewings brown, irrorated with darker and paler, partly ochreous tinged; towards base two indistinct blackish spots on costa and two on fold; stigmata black, first discal beyond plical, second followed by a black spot, and another on fold beyond plical; sometimes a blackish longitudinal discal suffusion; a pale greyish -ochreous angulated fascia at 3/4. Hindwings 1, light grey. Larva pale yellowish-green; dorsal, subdorsal, and faint spiracular lines brown-reddish; dots blackish; head and plate of 2 somewhat darker.

The moths fly May to July.

The larva feeds on Halimione portulacoides a saltmarsh species.

References

1. Savela, Markku (ed.). "Scrobipalpa". Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Retrieved 20 July 2020 – via FUNET.
2. Fauna Europaea
3. Powell, J.A. & Povolný D., 2001: Gnorimoschemine moths of coastal dune and scrub habitats in California (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Holarctic Lepidoptera (Gainesville), 8 (suppl. 1): 1–53. Full article
4. Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
5. Heath, J.,ed. 1976 The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Vol. 4 Part 2
6. Langmaid, J. R., Palmer, S. M. & Young, M. R. . 2018 A Field Guide to the Smaller Moths of Great Britain and Ireland Reading, Berkshire. British Entomological and Natural History Society
7. lepiforum.de includes images This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

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