ABH: 11.003

Status:  Resident

Distribution/Abundance:  Rare

Primary Habitat:  Woodland

Wingspan:  Females apterous

Flight Period:  March - April

Observations:  Larvae feed on lichens, algae and mosses, but require to eat dead insects to complete their growth. Larvae live within a case, often covered with fine sandy soil and parts of insect exoskeletons. The female is wingless. No males of this species have been found in the UK, thus the species is required to reproduce parthenogenetically, with the female laying eggs inside the former larval abode.

Confusion Species:  Other Dahlica species

L.O.N.:  N/A

First Record:  2015, Coles