Local in bogs, damp heathland and mosses throughout much of Scotland, northern England, south-western England and Wales. A surprising first record for the area was one trapped in the New Forest in 2019, and followed by another a year later. Wingspan 20-23 mm. Readily separable from
C. permutatella,
C. osthelderi and
C. speculalis by the absence of a cross-line dividing the median longitudinal stripe;
C. furcatellus has uniformly coloured, mahogany-brown forewing with narrower, dull white median longitudinal stripe [Bradley]. Larva feeds on various grasses and various mosses.