Colt's-foot Groundling

<em>Scrobipalpula tussilaginis</em>, the colts-foot groundling, is a gelechiid moth in the family Gelechiidae recorded from Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden, with occurrence in terrestrial and freshwater habitats. This species has not been evaluated by the IUCN. The common name indicates a larval association with coltsfoot (<em>Tussilago farfara</em>), a widespread ruderal Asteraceae of disturbed habitats, roadsides, and stream banks across temperate Europe. Gelechiid moths are a highly diverse family with the majority of species being leaf miners, stem borers, or seed feeders in their larval stage, making them important but often overlooked components of herbivore communities in temperate grasslands and disturbed habitats. <em>Scrobipalpula tussilaginis</em> adults are small, cryptically patterned moths, as is typical of the family Gelechiidae. Their small size and nocturnal habits make them difficult to survey without targeted light trapping or larval host-plant searches. The species likely completes a single generation per year in its northern European range. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.