Catoptria pinella

Alternative names
Pearl Grass-moth
Pearl Grass-veneer
Description

Wingspan 18-24 mm. An attractive and distinctively marked moth, the orange wings having two large white discs.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Damp areas, boggy heath land, fens and marshes.

When to see it

It flies by night in July and August and tends to rest in trees by day.

Life History

The larvae feed on grasses grow that grow in damp habitats.

UK Status

Distributed over many parts of Britain but is most common in the south and east. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

VC55 Status

Quite common in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = A (common and resident)

Reference
63.099 BF1313

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Pearl Grass-veneer, Pearl Grass-moth
Species group:
insect - moth
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Crambidae
Records on NatureSpot:
85
First record:
01/01/1998 (Adrian Russell)
Last record:
17/07/2025 (Cranston, Elspeth)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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