73.082 BF2292

Tree-lichen Beauty Cryphia algae

(Fabricius, 1775)

Wingspan 24-30 mm.

A mostly migrant species wiith only a handful of records prior to 1991, since when it has become quite frequent in the southern and south-eastern counties. More recently it has arrived in sufficient numbers to breed and possibly establish small resident populations in certain localities.

The species occurs in southern Europe, where the larvae feed on lichens growing on trees, and the adult moths fly between July and September. Most British records are during July and August.