Hantsmoths

Local in reed-beds in parts of southern England, with records north to Yorkshire, predominantly coastal. In Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight almost exclusively confined to the coast; remarkably, more than three-quarters of the records on the county database originate from a single garden in Southsea. Wingspan male 25-30 mm, female 41-46 mm. Male is unmistakable; female is considerably larger than that of Chilo phragmitella, in which the costa near the apex is convex, not concave, Donacaula forficella, in which the apex of forewing is even more pointed, with termen distinctly concave, and D. mucronellus, in which the forewing has broad, pale costal stripe sharply demarcated from a dark subcostal streak from base to apex [Goater]. Larva feeds within stems of Common Reed and Reed Sweet-grass, cutting part of a leaf to use as a raft to float to a new foodplant.