Longhorn Moth - Nemophora degeerella
Phylum: Arthropoda - Class: Insecta - Order: Lepidoptera - Family: Adelidae
The males of this species of moth have the longest antennae of all British moths. Those of the female are much shorter.
In May and June, the males can often be seen in groups, drifting up and down in the evening sunshine.
Their habitat is damp deciduous woodlands and hedgerows.
The wingspan of this moth ranges between 16 and 23mm.
Distribution
It is quite common over much of England and Wales, more localised in Ireland.
Lifecycle
The larvae feed on leaf litter on the ground.
Pictures: Rob Petley-Jones
Studying butterflies and moths...
Please Help Us: If you have found this information interesting and useful, please consider helping to keep First Nature online by making a small donation towards the web hosting and internet costs.
Any donations over and above the essential running costs will help support the conservation work of Plantlife, the Rivers Trust and charitable botanic gardens - as do author royalties and publisher proceeds from books by Pat and Sue.