Grey Neb
Psamathocrita osseella
Psamathocrita osseella is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Henry Tibbats Stainton in 1861.
6
Countries
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Gelechiidae
Genus
Psamathocrita
Grey Neb belongs to the family Gelechiidae, order Lepidoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Psamathocrita osseella is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Henry Tibbats Stainton in 1861. It is found in Sweden, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Ukraine and Russia.
Coastal development and rising sea levels are rapidly destroying the Grey Neb's specialized dune habitats, while artificial lighting from beachfront properties disrupts their nocturnal mating behaviors. Climate change is also shifting the timing of their emergence, creating mismatches with their host plants' flowering periods.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Grey Nebs inhabit stabilized coastal sand dunes and sandy grasslands within 2 kilometers of the shoreline, where their larvae develop in the root systems of native beach grasses. Adults require areas with minimal light pollution and specific microclimate conditions created by dune topography and salt-tolerant vegetation.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Coastal development and rising sea levels are rapidly destroying the Grey Neb's specialized dune habitats, while artificial lighting from beachfront properties disrupts their nocturnal mating behaviors. Climate change is also shifting the timing of their emergence, creating mismatches with their host plants' flowering periods.
Detailed threat classification data is sourced from IUCN assessments as they become available.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Grey Neb (Psamathocrita osseella). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/grey-neb