Common marbled carpet
One of the most variable moths in Europe, the common marbled carpet ranges from near white to almost black, yet its hindwings stay plain pale grey.
| Where | Woodland, grassland and gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | 32 to 39 mm wingspan |
| When | May to October |
The common marbled carpet is one of the most variable moths in its family, with forewings that range from near white through grey and brown to almost black, broken by a plain paler central band. The hindwings, by contrast, stay a consistent pale grey, and the wingspan spans roughly 32 to 39 mm.
Caterpillars feed on birch, bramble, heather, privet and hawthorn, and the species can produce one or two generations depending on the season. Adults fly at night across woodland, grassland and garden habitats, coming readily to light and to nectar.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Brown, Grey, White
Active
Night
To people
Comes readily to lit windows and moth traps; harmless to handle.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Smaller at 25 to 30 mm, the dark marbled carpet shows a sharply angled postmedian line on the underside of the hindwing, compared with the more rounded angle of the common marbled carpet.
Questions
Is the Common marbled carpet dangerous to people?
Comes readily to lit windows and moth traps; harmless to handle.
When can you see the Common marbled carpet?
The Common marbled carpet can be seen from May to October, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Geometer moths›Dysstroma
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.