Tinea trinotella

Alternative names
Triple-spotted Nest Moth
Bird's-nest Moth
Description

Wingspan 12-18 mm. This small greyish-buff moth has three dark spots on the forewing, which give rise to its scientific name. It also sports a yellowish or orange head-tuft, resulting in its diagnostic appearance.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Found in various habitats.

When to see it

Flying at night and often visiting light-traps, the adults are at large between May and August, with possibly two generations.

Life History

The larva lives in a portable case and is quite common in birds' nests, where it feeds on detritus and food remains.

UK Status

Fairly frequent in England at least. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent but not common in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = B (scarce resident or restricted distribution or regular migrant)

Reference
12.033 BF247

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Bird's-nest Moth
Species group:
Moths
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Tineidae
Records on NatureSpot:
78
First record:
18/07/2003 (Skevington, Mark)
Last record:
09/08/2023 (Gamble, David)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records