Description: Wingspan 30-34 mm. A small dayflying moth which is active in sunshine. Forewings brown with an ochreous white line that forms a shape said to resemble the profile of a legendary Yorkshire witch. Antemedian and postmedian lines white, the former is straight and quite oblique; the latter is dentate forming a loop that connects with the antemedian line. Subterminal line is pale and quite straight. Hindwings dark brown with a series of pale ochreous spots forming a terminal line. There is also a discal spot and a pale chequered fringe. Early May to late June.

World Distribution: Eurasiatic; common and widespread throughout western Europe as far north as the Fennoscandia and the Arctic Circle.

Irish Distribution: Widely distributed across all counties including Rathlin Island. It is more frequently encountered in parts of east Down, north Armagh and Fermanagh.

Ecology: A small dayflying species which can be easily overlooked. Adults can be found in dry grassland including flowery meadows and railway embankments and also woodland rides and clearings. The adults rest on flowers and leaves and are often difficult to approach as they fly at the least sign of disturbance. The larvae can be found from July to September on various coarse grasses.

Key Identification Features:

• Outline of witches profile on forewings
• Straight pale antemedian line
• Pale spots on hindwings

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

iNaturalist: Callistege mi at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.