Scientific name: Nebula salicata

May - July. England, Scotland, Wales. Medium-sized light grey to dark grey, marked with stripes and a central band. Found on moorland, but also sandhills, open woodland and other grassy sites.

This is a weakly marked light to dark grey moth, with many fraint cross-lines on the forewings and a slightly darker central cross-band. A small dark central spot is always present. It can resemble the Grey Mountain Carpet, but this species is darker with bolder markings and is bigger in size. Easily disturbed by day from rocks and tree trunks. Flies at night.

Size and Family

• Family – Carpets and Allies (Larentiines)
• Medium Sized 

Conservation status

• UK BAP: Not listed
• Common

Particular Caterpillar Food Plants

Bedstraws.

Distribution

• Countries – England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland
• Fairly common and well distributed in northern England, becoming less frequent and more restricted into Scotland, the Hebrides, Orkney and Ireland.  Also reasonably widespread in north and west Wales and becoming scarcer further south. There are a very few records from Dorset, Surrey and Sussex.

Habitat

Similar species