Last modified: Feb. 26, 2024, 6:40 p.m.
A very rare species of brackish salt marshes along the Scheldt estuary in Belgium and along the coastal area.
Native
First observation for Belgium on 25.vi.2001at Groot Buitenschoor at Oude Doel (OV).
Wingspan 9–10 mm. This is the smallest of the Monochroa species with grey, rather plain forewings and a single black discal spot. Dissection is required to rule out some of the superficially similar species like light specimens of Monochroa arundinetella and Monochroa suffusella.
Larva are present from August till early spring.
The larva mines the leaves, mostly upwards, of the food plant from August till autumn. It creates several new mines during its lifetime. In late autumn the larva leaves the mine and bores into the stem to hibernate.
The adults are active from late afternoon and can be observed flying around their host plant and later come to light.
The adults have been seen from late May towards early August.
The larva lives on Bolboschoenus maritimus.
It inhabits brackish salt marshes and ponds.
