Early Long-horn

The Early Long-horn is a micro moth with a wingspan of around 15mm. The males have very long whitish antennae and a hairy black head. The females have much shorter, black antennae and have a orange or yellowish head. Both male and female have metallic bronzy-gold forewings with a slight purplish sheen.

The females lay their eggs on the catkins of Salix. Once hatched out the larvae drop to the ground and feed on dead leaf litter. They live in a portable case constructed from plant debris and vegetation. The larvae overwinters two to three times. Pupation takes place within the case.

The Early Long-horn are active by day and are on the wing from mid April to early May. They can be seen flying in sunshine at the tops of sallow trees, visiting the flowers. Males congregate in swarms.

This species has a wide distribution across much of mainland Britain, but is rather local and not easy to locate.