185 Luffia ferchaultella
(Stephens, 1850)
Luffia ferchaultella is widespread and locally abundant in southern Britain. Only the self-fertile wingless female is known, unless it and L. lapidella, which differs only in having winged males and, in Britain, being confined to Cornwall, are the same species.The cased larvae feed, often gregariously, on lichen on tree trunks and, sometimes, on posts, sloe branches, or rocks. After the moth has emerged, the empty cases, about 6mm long, remain fully exposed on the trunk into the following spring when they can alert attention to the presence of the smaller occupied cases, often concealed in crevices.
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