Description: Wingspan 20-24mm. Adults have whitish forewings, a pale central band with a dark round spot on the costa. There is also a broad greyish line along the outer margin of the forewings. Adults have only been recorded in late May and early August.

World Distribution: Northern and central Europe as far as Asia.

Irish Distribution: A rare, mainly coastal species, that had not been seen for many years until it was discovered at Lisblake Bog, Fermanagh in 1992. There were no other records until 1998 when it was found in good numbers at the Umbra, Londonderry. Despite casual trapping at this locality over the last few years no other adults have been taken. It was also recorded from Rathlin Island in the late 1980s and previously Glenarm, Antrim, Lough Fea, Tyrone and Rostrevor and Newcastle, Down.

Ecology: A species associated with coastal grassland and moorland. Adults are attracted to light in small numbers. The larvae can be found in September on the seeds of eyebrights Euphrasia spp. It overwinters as a pupa.

Key Identification Features:

• Pale central band
• Dark patch near costa, small discal spot
• Pale white hindwings

Distribution Map from NBN: Perizoma blandiata at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Perizoma blandiata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.