Description: Wingspan 22-26mm. Adults have pale grey forewings marked with dark grey cross-lines. There are two central bands - one near the basal area and the other towards the outer margin of the forewing. Hindwings unmarked white to pale grey. May to the beginning of July.

World Distribution: Central and northern Europe to south-eastern Russia.

Irish Distribution: Scarce and local, mainly confined to western counties. All of the recent records are from Fermanagh and Tyrone. There are old records for Londonderry and Ballymacilranby, Antrim, but it has not been seen in either county since the 1950s. It was not seen again until 1988 when its was recorded at Florencecourt, Fermanagh. Other recent records have come from Monmurray and Legatillida, Fermanagh and Rehaghy and Fivemiletown, Tyrone.

Ecology: A pretty species that favours damp woodland and wet marshy areas where willows are common. Despite the existence of suitable habitat in many areas it seems elusive and is seldom encountered at light. The larvae can be found from June until August on willow Salix spp. It overwinters as a pupa.

Key Identification Features:

• Two whitish grey central bands
• Pale coloured hindwings

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

iNaturalist: Pterapherapteryx sexalata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.