Silver-ground carpet
Every segment of this moth's whitish abdomen carries a small pair of dark dots, a subtle feature easy to miss beside its bold, broad wing band.
| Where | Woodland clearings, hedgerows and gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | 29 to 33 mm wingspan |
| When | May to July |
The Silver-ground carpet has a wingspan of 29 to 33 mm, with white forewings crossed by a broad central band that ranges from pale grey to near black, and white hindwings marked with a faint pale line and a small dark spot.
A single generation flies each summer, and by day adults can be flushed from low vegetation in woodland clearings and hedgerows, while caterpillars feed at night on bedstraws and other low-growing plants.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
White, Grey
Active
Night
To people
Attracted to light; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Slightly smaller at 27 to 31 mm wingspan, with three separate dark blotches along the leading edge of the forewing rather than the single broad continuous band of the Silver-ground carpet.
Questions
Is the Silver-ground carpet dangerous to people?
Attracted to light; harmless to people.
When can you see the Silver-ground carpet?
The Silver-ground carpet can be seen from May to July, 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›Xanthorhoe
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.