Luffia ferchaultella

Only the self-fertile wingless female is known. Possibly a form of Luffia lapidella.

Dampish, shady places with lichen covered tree trunks, posts, branches, or rocks.

May to July.

The cased larvae feed, often gregariously, on lichen on tree trunks and, sometimes, on posts, sloe branches, or rocks. After the moth has emerged, the empty cases, about 6mm long, remain fully exposed on the trunk into the following spring when they can alert attention to the presence of the smaller occupied cases, often concealed in crevices.

Luffia ferchaultella is widespread and locally abundant in southern Britain. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

It appears to be uncommon, or under recorded, in Leicestershire and Rutland, where there are few records. L&R Moth Group status = D (rare or rarely recorded).