Photo © Keith Tailby
Lichen Case-bearer
Dahlica lichenella
Checklist Number11.005 [B&F: 0179]
Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure
Classification
| Family: | Psychidae |
| Subfamily: | Naryciinae |
| Genus: | Dahlica |
| Species: | lichenella |
| Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1761) |
Nationally scarce (Na) in parts of southern England, southern Scotland and Perthshire, probably overlooked elsewhere. In Hampshire known mainly from a handful of sites in the south of the county, including Havant Thicket and Emer Bog, and first reported in VC12 at Silchester Common in 2019. Not recorded from the Isle of Wight to date. Male unknown, female wingless. The adult moths are seen occasionally, but most records are of larval cases. Larva feeds on lichens growing on tree trunks, fence posts, old walls, various mosses and decaying vegetable matter, living within a movable case.
The abundance in each month is indicated as follows:
No records
Very occasional
Irregular
Uncommon
Off-peak, but not unusual
Off-peak, but not unusual
Main flight time| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Larval | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Records by week (adult)
Records by week (larval)
VC11 South Hampshire
| Site | Date | Quantity | Recorder | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Havant Thicket (SU71) | 02/03/1980 | - | J R Langmaid | Case |
| Havant Thicket (SU71) | 05/04/1980 | - | J R Langmaid, P H Sterling | Case |
| Denny Wood, NF (SU30) | 1982 | - | John R Langmaid | - |
| Beaulieu Road, NF (SU30) | 13/03/1982 | - | J R Langmaid, D H, P H Sterling | Case |
| Emer Bog NR (SU32) | 18/04/1987 | - | J R Langmaid, D H, P H Sterling | Case |
| Havant Thicket (SU71) | 08/02/1992 | - | J R Langmaid, B Goater, M W Harper | Case |
| Havant Thicket (SU71) | 02/04/1995 | - | J R Langmaid, M S Parsons | Case |
| Havant Thicket (SU71) | 02/03/1996 | - | J R Langmaid, R J Heckford | Case |
| Havant Thicket (SU71) | 20/03/1996 | - | J R Langmaid, D O'Keeffe | Case |
| Emer Bog (SU32) | 24/02/1999 | - | Brian Elliott | Case |
| Havant Thicket (SU71) | 16/02/2002 | - | J R Langmaid, I R Sims | Case |
| Rowlands Castle (SU71) | 16/02/2002 | - | J R Langmaid, I R Sims | Case |
| Ashurst Wood (SU30) | 15/03/2003 | one | J R Langmaid, R J Heckford, P H Sterling | Adult |
| Rowlands Castle (SU71) | 17/03/2008 | one | J R Langmaid, I R Thirlwell | Case |
VC12 North Hampshire
| Site | Date | Quantity | Recorder | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silchester Common (SU66) | 17/04/2019 | eight | Mark Hammond | Larval tube |