Common carpet
It often flies up from vegetation in bright daylight, an unusual habit for a moth otherwise built like its night-flying relatives.
| Where | Grassland, hedgerows, and waste ground |
|---|---|
| Size | 27 to 30 mm wingspan |
| When | May to September |
The forewings are patterned in grey and blackish-brown bands separated by a broad pale central band, with paler grey hindwings continuing similar banding; the wingspan runs from about 27 to 30 mm.
Caterpillars feed on bedstraws, and the species produces two generations in warmer areas, flying in late spring and again in late summer, while colder regions see just a single generation in mid-summer.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Grey, Brown, White
Active
Day and night
To people
Harmless
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The wood carpet is slightly larger at 28 to 34 mm wingspan and shows one thick, unbroken pale band across both wings, whereas the common carpet's pale band is split by a black line.
Questions
Is the Common carpet dangerous to people?
The Common carpet is harmless to people.
When can you see the Common carpet?
The Common carpet can be seen from May to September, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Ben Sale from Stevenage, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Geometer moths›Epirrhoe
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.