Description: Wingspan 16-19 mm. Forewings pale greyish white with darker grey crosslines and a small discal spot. There are darker patches along the costal edge of the forewing and a paler white sub-marginal line and a chequered fringe. Hindwings pale white with fine brown crosslines and a small black discal spot.

World Distribution: Eurasiatic; widespread throughout northern and central Europe.

Irish Distribution: This species was originally considered to be rare as prior to 1990 there had been only one confirmed record from Loughgall, Armagh in the early 1980s. Since then it has been taken at a number of sites in southern counties which seems to confirm a more widespread distribution rather than an increase in its range. Recent records have come from Monmurray, Correl Glen, Cooneen and Crom Estate, Fermanagh, Gosford Forest Park, Armagh 1997, Ballynasollus and Muntober Bog, Tyrone and Bohill, Down.

Ecology: A spruce feeding species that favours conifer plantations and old estates where the foodplants are found. The larvae feed throughout July and August on spruce Picea spp. and Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii.

Key Identification Features:

• Pale-coloured forewings with dark brownish patches
• Chequered fringe and small black discal spot
• White sub-marginal line

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

iNaturalist: Eupithecia tantillaria at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.