Nationally scarce (Na) in dry pastures and sand-dunes throughout much of the British Isles. In Hampshire very local in the bogs of the New Forest, with records in 1980 of larvae on Creeping Willow at Pig Bush and Emer Bog. Not recorded from the Isle of Wight to date. Very similar to, and formerly conspecific with,
A. geminana and
A. diminutana, from which separated by pale grey to whitish grey forewing with the brown markings very weak and sometimes reduced to a few dark patches or dashes [Bradley]. Wingspan 11-15 mm. Larva feeds on Creeping Willow, living between leaves spun together with silk.