Cloaked minor
This small moth's forewing is often sharply divided into two different coloured halves by one straight line running across it.
| Where | Sand dunes and grassy coastal slopes |
|---|---|
| Size | 22 to 28 mm wingspan |
| When | July to August |
The Cloaked minor is a slender, narrow winged moth that varies from pale straw to reddish brown, often sharply split into two colours by a straight line across the forewing.
It flies in July and August, most often around sand dunes and grassy coastal slopes, though it also occurs inland. Caterpillars feed on grasses such as sheep's fescue and tufted hair grass.
Traits
Habitat
Coast
Colour
Brown, Yellow
Active
Night
To people
Attracted to light; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Similar size at about 23 to 30 mm wingspan, but the Rosy Minor tends to be greyer with a rosy or purplish tint, and lacks the sharply divided two toned forewing typical of the Cloaked minor.
Questions
Is the Cloaked minor dangerous to people?
Attracted to light; harmless to people.
When can you see the Cloaked minor?
The Cloaked minor can be seen from July to August, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Ben Sale from Stevenage, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
Report a mistake in this entry
Butterflies and moths›Owlet moths›Mesoligia
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.