Common Nettle-tap

Anthophila fabriciana

Unlike most moths, they fly during the day and walk with a distinctive jerky, pivoting motion that often causes them to be mistaken for small flies.

Scientific name: Anthophila fabriciana
Taxonomy: Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Choreutidae › Anthophila
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern
Population trend: stable
Biome: grassland
Habitat: Hedgerows, gardens, woodland edges, and waste ground where stinging nettles are abundant.
Diet: Larvae feed on stinging nettle leaves within a silken web; adults consume nectar from various wildflowers like hogweed and dandelion.
Range: Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, North America
Size: Wingspan of 10 to 15 mm; body length approximately 5-7 mm.
Lifespan: Roughly 1-2 months including larval stages; adults live for 2-3 weeks.
Active: diurnal
Threats: Widespread removal of 'weeds' like nettles in urban gardening and the use of broad-spectrum herbicides.
Safe to approach?: This species is completely harmless to humans. They are safe to observe closely as they rest on nettle leaves. Avoid touching the moth to prevent damaging its fragile wings. Be cautious of the stinging nettles they inhabit, which can cause skin irritation.

Anthophila fabriciana , also known as the common nettle-tap , is a moth of the family Choreutidae.

Photo: Emanuele Santarelli, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist