Hantsmoths

Common in damp shady places throughout England and Wales, more numerous in the south. Fairly widely distributed across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The species previously considered to be common in Britain Luffia ferchaultella has recently been synonymised with L. lapidella (a species previously thought to be confined to Cornwall), and is considered a parthenogenetic form of the present taxon, L. lapidella f. ferchaultella, and while the winged males do occur in Britain, they are very rare (females are wingless); reproduction therefore is generally through parthenogenesis. Larva feeds on lichens growing on tree trunks and fence posts, living within a movable case; larval cases can be found commonly, even abundantly, on tree-trunks, fences and old walls throughout; case length 5-7 mm.