12.01 BF196  –  Tineidae –  Scardiinae – Morophaga choragella – Great Fungus Moth  – ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Adult Micro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive Species –       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Black – Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data   
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Tineidae  >> Scardiinae
Other Name/s: Large Clothes Moth
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Although bears a resemblance to other members of the family, it is generally larger
ID pointers: The forewings are a sandy brown, prominent along the wing veins and covered in a scattering of darker markings, some forming obvious blotches.
Distribution:  (Last record: 25 July 2025 at Chaddesden )  –  A localised species across the south and south-east of England with scattered records further north. Status in Derbyshire unknown as insufficient data with only 5 records between 2014 – 2020. One on 25/7/2025 from Chaddesden
Flight Period: June /  July /  August /  –  June-August – generally inconspicuous. Mine Period: June /  August /  Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Will Soar  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 18-32mm
Food Plant: Bracket Fungus and dead wood.
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Martin Roome
Last Recorded General Area – Chaddesden

Selected Images:  Kings Newton 27/8/2022 – photos by Will Soar © / Chaddesden (July 2025) Martin Roome©

 
 


 

Distribution Map for Morophaga choragella

Found 8 records
    ↳ 2 from After 2025
    ↳ 3 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 3 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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.

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.


NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Morophaga choragella

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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.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Morophaga choragella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


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

Shading shows moth presence between dates

Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required

Recordings By Year: Morophaga choragella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Morophaga choragella
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%


CUSUM Analysis: Morophaga choragella
About this chart: CUSUM (Cumulative Sum) charts track long-term trends in moth populations [ filtered by 'Adult' and 'Mine' life stages ] by showing whether each year’s counts are above or below the historical average. Even small shifts build up over time, making trends of growth, stability, or decline easier to see. CUSUM highlights trend-consistency — asking: “Across the years, have moth counts mostly stayed above or below average?”
The data sample has 20 gap year/s here (zero records) between 2000 and 2025. The moth may have been present in those gap years, but no data was available. Too many year-gaps may exaggerate or skew the chart.

Counts for the current year (2025) are pro-rated based on data available up to month 8 (August) to provide a full-year equivalent.

Purple line rises = years better than average; falls = years worse than average.
Peak (best year) Trough (worst year) Growth periods Decline periods
Population peaked around 2018, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2014, showing a significant decline.

What the Y-axis "Cumulative Deviation" means: Cumulative Deviation shows the running total of how each year’s moth population count differs from the long-term average. i

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Morophaga choragella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Morophaga choragella
( 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 - Morophaga choragella – 8 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Staunton Harold ReservoirSK32S05/09/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chaddesden, DerbySK33T25/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y27/08/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y07/08/20201Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R17/07/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Long Eaton - Marlborough RoadSK43X29/06/20182Adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U24/06/20141adultvc57_irecords_extract
Far Cross,Cavendish Park,MatlockSK36A01/08/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

 
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