Sooty Snout
Common NameSooty Snout
Scientific NameScoparia ambigualis
FamilyCrambidae
SubfamilyScopariinae
Wingspan (mm)21
Wing Patterncryptic
Primary Colorsbrown, grey
HabitatWoodlands, grasslands, heathlands, gardens
Geographic RangeEurope, parts of Asia, North America (introduced)
Host Plantsmosses, lichens, plantain
Flight PeriodMay to August
Flight Stylefluttering
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Lifecycle NotesLarvae feed on mosses and lichens, often within silken tubes. Pupation occurs in a cocoon.
Identification TipsLook for the prominent snout-like labial palps, the mottled brown and grey forewings with distinct dark cross-lines, and its relatively small size.
Description
A small moth with a distinctive elongated snout-like proboscis, featuring mottled brown and grey forewings with cryptic patterns and darker cross-bands.
