Marbled Minor vs Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Marbled Minor Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet
Scientific Name Oligia strigilis Xanthorhoe ferrugata
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Noctuidae Geometridae
Size 24-28 mm wingspan 22-28 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Woodlands
Diet Root Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Marbled Minor

A small, cryptically marked moth that is extremely variable in pattern. Part of a complex of similar-looking species that can only be reliably separated by dissection.

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Did You Know?

Part of a notoriously difficult species complex where three species look almost identical.

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

A common but variable carpet moth found in gardens and hedgerows. Wing pattern ranges from pale to very dark. Larvae feed on bedstraws and other low plants.

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Did You Know?

So variable in appearance that dark and light forms were once described as separate species.