Scrobipalpa instabilella, the saltern groundling, is a moth in the Gelechiidae family. It was described by Douglas in 1846. It is found in on the Canary Islands, in Algeria, Ireland, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Greece, Cyprus and Palestine. It is also present in the United States, where it has been recorded from California.