11.004 BF177  –  Psychidae –  Naryciinae – Dahlica inconspicuella – Lesser Lichen Bagworm – (Stainton, 1849) Adult Micro:  CAT 2 – Confusion Species –       Larval Case:  C3 – As C2 but bred moth required – reared and possibly dissected       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Brown –  Significant Record / Very Rare / Vagrant         day-flying – Day-flying
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Psychidae  >> Naryciinae
Other Name/s: Lesser Lichen Case-bearer
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
ID pointers: A fascinating genus with flightless females that look very strange and two of the species without known males. An added bonus is that D. inconspicuella is a possible British endemic. The forewing is speckled in a net-like patterning with white and grey over a pale brown base colour. A darker spot or blotch in central area.The cilia is chequered. The moth looks very much like an Eriocrania species which is perhaps a reason as to why it is not so often recorded.
Distribution:  (Last record: 17 April 2023 at Padley Gorge )  –  A species that has been recorded locally, to commonly in southern England northwards to Lancashire and Yorkshire, and nowhere else in the world! The status in Derbyshire is uncertain due to insufficient data. Only 2 recent records, one from 1987 and one from 2023, when one was sweep netted at Padley Gorge. Now a third one has been recorded from Longdendale (VC58) but administratively in modern Derbyshire 9/4/2025.
Flight Period: April /  May /  –  Females are flightless – Males on the wing from April – May Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Sid Morris; Christian Heintzen  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 6 May 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 9-13mm
Food Plant: Lichens on walls, tree trunks, fences and rocks
Last Recorded Year: 2023
Last Recorded By – Sid Morris
Last Recorded General Area – Padley Gorge

IMAGES BELOW:  

Padley Gorge – 2023 – Sid Morris© / Longdendale – 9th April 2025 – (Brockholes Woodland) is in VC58 but administratively still Derbyshire – Christian Heintzen©

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Distribution Map for Dahlica inconspicuella

Found 3 records
    ↳ 0 from After 2025
    ↳ 1 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 2 from Before 2020

If the Map Layers function fails, just refresh the page and it should be OK after. Use the +- zoom on the top left, or on a tablet, use two fingers to zoom. Remember, the last layer you ticked is the one which displays the popup information - they sit on top of each other - de-select then re-select, to see the popup values.

******* Choose ONLY one at a time, of either Monad, Tetrad or Hectad Distribution - each has it's own set of data. Also, the distribution maps cover ALL recorded data. *******

Bedrock Geology ** indirectly affects moth distribution by influencing the type of habitat and food plants available in an area. In turn, this may affect the types of moths that can thrive, or where they can most likely be found.

Land-cover * shows the variety of land-cover within the VC57 area, based on the CORINE (Coordination of Information on the Environment) forty-four thematic classes of land-cover. This will show, to a greater or lesser degree, the number and variety of moths found in different land-cover types. The UK continues to operate within the Copernicus programme, with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) providing Corine Land Cover (CLC) datasets for the UK and its territories.


NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Dahlica inconspicuella

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Note – the NBN Atlas datasets are listed in the map below and vary in their currency (uptodateness) – however, the map does give a general indication of the moth's distribution across the UK.

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Monthly Records By Year: Dahlica inconspicuella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Dahlica inconspicuella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )


First/Last Recorded Dates: Dahlica inconspicuella
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

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Recordings By Year: Dahlica inconspicuella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Dahlica inconspicuella
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%
Dahlica inconspicuella
Insufficient records/data for an AGR analysis
Years Analysed: 2000 – 2025
Dahlica inconspicuella
Insufficient records/data for a CUSUM analysis
Years Analysed: 2000 – 2025

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Dahlica inconspicuella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Dahlica inconspicuella
( data includes Adult Stage only )

Flight Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's flight periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen in flight, from site observation records received between 2020-2025.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Dahlica inconspicuella – 3 records available

Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Dahlica inconspicuellaPadley Gorge DerbyshireSK28K202317/04/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Dahlica inconspicuellaTissington Trail, Iron Tors, Wolfscote DaleSK15N199710/03/19976Casevc57_danes_bc_data
Dahlica inconspicuellaWragg's Quarry,Rowsley MoorSK26Y199711/03/19971Casevc57_danes_bc_data

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