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461  Ypsolopha ustella


Flying : recorded throughout the year  - more often in July, August and September


Common


Very variable in colour and wing pattern. Often has a large black spot near the trailing corner of the forewing.



Larva and Pupa

Pupa case

Photo of  Gracillaria syringella by Graeme Davis

Photo of  Cameraria ohridella

by Graeme Davis

Photo of  Epermenia chaerophyllella by Graeme Davis

483  Epermenia chaerophyllella


Flying : Mainly April to October. Winters as an adult so is seen in winter occasionally.


Common



366  Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner  Cameraria ohridella


Flying :  April to November but mainly July, August and September


Common. Has spread quickly across Europe, appearing in Britain in 2002 and spreading rapidly

293  Gracillaria syringella


Flying :  Mainly April to November

Common

Photo of  Luffia ferchaultella pupa by Graeme Davis

Photo of  Case-bearing Clothes Moth by Graeme Davis


240  Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella


Flying : May, June, July, August


Common.


Psychidae

148  Nemophora degeerella


Flying : May, June and early July


Common in England and Wales but not elsewhere.


130  Incurvaria masculella


Flying : April, May, June


Common


6  Dyseriocrania subpurpurella (Syn. Eriocrania subpurpurella)


Flying : April to July


Common

Very varied in colour and markings - often with purple and/or blue spotting. Main distinguishing character is the hair on the head and thorax.

4  Micropterix aruncella


Flying : May, June, July


Common


Photo of  Nemophora degeerella

by Graeme Davis

Photo of  Incurvaria masculella

by Graeme Davis

Opostegidae

Eriocraniidae

Micropterigidae

Photos of  Micropterix aruncella by Graeme Davis

Larvae and Pupae For many of these tiny moths the adults are often not seen. For many species we are more familiar with their larvae or pupae than with the adults: for adults of Taleporia tubulosa and Psyche casta (See Hantsmoths)  

181  Taleporia tubulosa

Male adult flying : Mainly May and June. Flightless female remains in the pupa case. Larvae and pupae are enclosed in a cigar-shaped case attached to a tree or a wall.

Common in Southern England, the Midlands and East Anglia.  Elsewhere local or unrecorded.

185   Luffia ferchaultella

Does not fly. Only the female is known and this is wingless and self-fertile .
Larvae and pupae are enclosed in a case attached to tree bark or a wall or fence.

Common in Southern England, the Midlands, East Anglia and eastern Wales. Elsewhere local or unrecorded.



186 Psyche Casta

Male flying : mainly May, June and July. Female wingless. Larvae and pupae are camouflaged with strips of dead grass.

Common


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140  Nematopogon swammerdamella


Flying : Mainly May and June with some in April and July


Common;
Wing length 8-10mm distinguishes it from other Nematopogons, which are smaller. The other common species
N.schwarziellus (See Hantsmoths) is usually shorter - about 7mm - but cannot usually be distinguished from N.swammerdamella by photographs.


152  Cauchas rufimitrella


Flying : Mainly May and June with a few in April and July


Common in England and Wales but local in Scotland



196  Morophaga choragella - sometimes known as “Large Clothes Moth” but lives in woods and the food plants are various bracket fungi.


Flying : June, July and August


Fairly common only in South and South-east England but may be spreading.



227 Skin Moth Monopis laevigella


Flying : May, June, July, August and September.     Common.


228  Monopis weaverella
   

Flying : May, June, July, August and September.     Common.


Differs from M laevigella in having 1. less speckling and
2. A large triangular yellow mark at the trailing corner of the forewing.


246  Tinea semifulvella


Flying : May, June, July, August and September.     Common.


247  Tinea trinotella


Flying : Mainly May, June, July, August with some in April and September.  


Common

263  Apple Leaf Miner  Lyonetia clerkella


Flying : All the year - most numerous June to November


Common

288  Caloptilia stigmatella


Flying : All the year - most numerous June to November. Hibernates as an adult.


Common

294  Aspilapteryx tringipennella


Flying :  April to September


Common

300 - 309  Parornix Species. There are ten British species of the genus Parornix, of which four are quite common - P.anglicella (Food-plant Hawthorn), P.devoniella (Food-plant Hazel), P.betulae (Food-plant Birch) and P.torquillella (Food-plant Blackthorn).

Unfortunately the adults are too alike to separate using photographs.

Their food plants are different and they mine the leaves - so it is possible to find the presence of the species by checking the leaves.


315 - 366  Phyllonorycter  There are a large number of species in genus Phyllonorycter and a number of them are common, if easily overlooked because of their small size. Many of them are very similar. The identification of the two species shown here was backed up by the mining activities of the larvae in nearby leaves.


337  
Phyllonorycter hilarella  (Food plant Goat Willow)


Flying :  May to September   


Common but so tiny it may be overlooked - wing length about 4mm


342  Nut Leaf Blister Moth  Phyllonorycter coryli   (Food plant Hazel)


Flying :  May to November


Common but so tiny it may be overlooked - wing length 4mm or less. Larvae make big blisters on the surface of hazel leaves.



385  Common Nettle-tap  Anthophila fabriciana


Flying : All the year - most numerous April to October


Common


There is another similar moth,
Choreutis pariana, which is less common and does not have the white zigzag cross-line of A.fabriciana  (See Hantsmoths)


396  Glyphipterix fuscoviridella


Flying : May and June - day flying


Common in Southern England, the Midlands and Wales - less common farther North.

There are eight species of genus Yponomeuta in Britain, all with similar markings - black spots on a white or grey background. The shade of the background and the pattern of spots help to distinguish them. Two of the commonest species are shown here.

424  Bird-cherry Ermine  Yponomeuta evonymella  


Flying : Mainly June, July and August with some in May and September.


Common. Many are probably immigrants - particularly in the South.

427  Spindle Ermine  Yponomeuta cagnagella


Flying : Mainly July and August with some in May, June and September.


Common in Southern England, the Midlands and Wales - less common farther North.

Larval webs often cover spindle bushes in the hedgerow.

436  Pseudoswammerdamia combinella


Flying : Mainly May and June with some in April, May and August


Common in Southern England, the Midlands and Wales - less common farther North.


453  Honeysuckle Moth  Ypsolopha dentella


Flying : May to September


Common

455  Ypsolopha scabrella


Flying : July, August and September


Common in England and Wales except in the West. Not common in Scotland.


462  Ypsolopha sequella


Flying : Mainly July, August, September with some in May, June and October.


Common in England and Wales


464  Diamond-back Moth  Plutella xylostella


Flying : May be seen all year - usually most numerous in June, July, August


A common immigrant - often in very large numbers.


465  Plutella porrectella


Flying : May to October


Fairly common. Very similar to Diamond-back moth - larger and distinguished by the striations along the forewing

It is generally considered that most of the genus Coleophera are too similar to distinguish from photographs. The one shown - C.albicosta - does have confusion species with the same wing pattern and shape but they are all much less common.


544  Coleophora albicosta


Flying : May, June and July


Common

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1. Micromoths including the Tineidae, Gracillariidae and Yponomeutidae                                            




Adelidae

Tineidae

Gracillariidae

Choreutidae

Glyphipterigidae

Yponomeutidae

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Ypsolophidae