Scrobipalpa nitentella, the common sea groundling, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in most of Europe, North Africa (Tunisia), Turkey, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, China (Qinghai, Xinjiang),; 2010: The genus Scrobipalpa Janse (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in China, with descriptions of 13 new species. Zootaxa, 2513: 1–26. Preview. Mongolia and Siberia (Transbaikalia). et al. 2010: The gelechiid fauna of the southern Ural Mountains, part II: list of recorded species with taxonomic notes (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Zootaxa, 2367: 1–68. Preview
The wingspan is . A pale species difficult to very difficult to differentiate from other Scorobipalpa either from wing pattern or dissected genitalia. Heath, J., ed. 1976 The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Vol. 4 Part 2Langmaid, J. R., Palmer, S. M. & Young, M. R. [eds]. 2018 A Field Guide to the Smaller Moths of Great Britain and Ireland [3rd ed.]Reading, Berkshire. British Entomological and Natural History Societylepiforum.de includes images
Adults are on wing from July to August in one generation per year.UKmoths
The larvae feed on Atriplex hastata, Atriplex hortensis, Atriplex littoralis, Atriplex praecox, Atriplex prostrate, Beta maritima, Chenopodium album, Halimione pedunculata, Halimione portulacoides, Salicornia europaea, Suaeda altissima and Suaeda maritima. Young larvae mine the leaves of their host plant.bladmineerders.nl Full-grown larvae can be found from mid-August to the end of September.
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