Pancalia leuwenhoekella

Wingspan 10 to 12mm. This moth is very difficult to differentiate from its close relative Pancalia schwarzella, with forewing differences relating to the angulation of the lines and antennae colour and size. In leuwenhoekella, the antennae in both sexes have a broad subapical white section. In schwarzella, the male antenna is brown; the female antenna has a thickened area in the middle before the white section.

Chalk and limestone areas.

Adults fly in sunshine from April to June.

The larvae feed on Hairy Violet or Dog-violet.

The moth is locally frequent in southern England, and sparsely distributed throughout the rest of the UK. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.

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