Wingspan 11 to 23 mm. One of several similar species and care is needed with identification. If the specimen has not been confirmed by gen det please record it to the aggregate page.

If the specimen has not been confirmed by gen det please record it to the aggregate page.

Inhabiting dry, open and grassy areas.

A single-brooded species with a flight period from June to August.

The larvae feed inside the flowerheads of knapweed and saw-wort.

A fairly common species over most of Britain except for parts of Scotland. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland but few records have been confirmed by gen det.