Description: Wingspan 17-20 mm. A variable species with rather pointed forewings ranging in colour from light to dark grey, traversed by darker crosslines. There is also a small white spot that borders the black discal mark. Hindwings paler with a small black discal spot. Beginning of May to early August. Skinner gives late April to June as the normal flight period in Britain.

World Distribution: Eurasiatic; widespread across northern and central Europe to eastern Asia.

Irish Distribution: Common and widely distributed across southern counties but mainly confined to coastal localities in the north.

Ecology: A distinctive species associated with heaths, bogs, and moorland. Adults are attracted to light in small numbers and may occasionally be flushed from Heather by day. The larvae feed from July until September on Heather Calluna vulgaris. It overwinters as a pupa.

Key Identification Features:

• Apex of forewings rather pointed
• Transverse crosslines
• Small white spot below black discal mark

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

iNaturalist: Eupithecia nanata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.