Wingspan 10 to11 mm. A fairly distinctive member of the genus Elachista, with its white ground colour speckled with reddish or buff, sometimes giving rise to a streaky appearance.

A species of grassland areas, the larvae feed on a range of grasses, causing whitish mines on the blades.

April to June.

Larvae mine the leaves of various grasses.

It occurs widely throughout the British Isles and is fairly common. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = C (very scarce resident or rare migrant).