11.018 BF195

Sterrhopterix fusca

(Haworth, 1809)

[Synonyms: Sterrhopteryx]

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Wingspan (male) 18-25 mm.

A scarce and local species in Britain, occurring in scattered localities in England and Wales.

The adult male moth has plain greyish-brown, sparsely scaled wings and bipectinate antennae. The females are apterous and grub-like, lacking any appendages.

The larva feeds on a range of plant material including grasses and shrubs, and lives in a silken case adorned with fragments of plant material for two seasons before pupating.

In June and July the males emerge and are attracted by scent to the females, which remain partly within the pupal case.