Small magpie
Its caterpillar spends the entire winter sealed inside a tough silk cocoon spun inside a hollow plant stem, only pupating the following spring.
| Where | Gardens, hedgerows, and nettle beds |
|---|---|
| Size | 24 to 28 mm wingspan |
| When | May to July |
It has bright white wings marked with bold black-brown blotches and a yellowish body, a striking pattern that sets it apart from most other pyralid moths.
Caterpillars feed inside a rolled or spun leaf of nettle and related plants in late summer, then overwinter as larvae in a cocoon before pupating without further feeding.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
White, Black, Yellow
Active
Night
To people
Harmless
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Garden pebble is pale straw brown with faint wavy lines rather than the small magpie's bold white and black-brown blotches, even though the two share a similar wingspan.
Questions
Is the Small magpie dangerous to people?
The Small magpie is harmless to people.
When can you see the Small magpie?
The Small magpie can be seen from May to July, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by David Short from Windsor, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Grass moths›Anania
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.