Mother of pearl
When threatened, its caterpillar can snap into a wheel shape and roll away at roughly forty times its normal crawling speed.
| Where | Hedgerows, woodland edges, gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | 26 to 40 mm wingspan |
| When | June to September |
One of the largest micro-moths in its range, it rests with all four wings spread flat, showing pale whitish to ochreous wings with faint grey markings. Seen at an angle the nearly transparent wings give off a soft, pearly sheen, which is where the common name comes from.
Caterpillars live inside a rolled nettle leaf, feeding from within the shelter they build, and if disturbed they curl into a tight wheel and spring away in a burst of rolling movement.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
White, Grey, Brown
Active
Night
To people
Harmless; adults come to outdoor lights but do not bite or sting.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The small magpie has a bold black-and-white chequered pattern rather than a plain pearly sheen, and is smaller at 24 to 28 mm wingspan.
Questions
Is the Mother of pearl dangerous to people?
Harmless; adults come to outdoor lights but do not bite or sting.
When can you see the Mother of pearl?
The Mother of pearl can be seen from June to September, 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›Patania
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.