Hantsmoths

Local in woodland in an area bounded by Kent, Dorset, Herefordshire and Cambridgeshire and also from Lancashire and west Yorkshire. In Hampshire recorded from most 10km squares in the south, but distinctly rare in the north and on the Isle of Wight. Wingspan 9-10 mm. The ochreous or fawn tinge of the pale markings and the lack of definition in the pattern help to distinguish this species (MBGBI Vol 2). Imago seldom encountered at light, and more likely to be recorded in the larval stage, when mines are relatively easy to find where they are present. Larva mines leaves of Beech, subsequently living within a leaf-fold, over-wintering as a pupa in a cocoon.