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Lichen Case-bearer Dahlica lichenella  
         
  B&F: 0179

ABH: 11.005

Status:  Resident

Distribution/Abundance:  Rare

Primary Habitat:  Woodland

Wingspan:  Females apterous, males unknown in UK

Flight Period:  March - April

Observations:  Larvae feed on lichens, algae and mosses and are to be found in larval form in rocks and tree trunks. Larvae live within a case, often covered with fine sandy soil and lichen. 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:  2020, Hammond