Water Carpet Moth

The wingspan is 25–32 mm. The ground colour is brownish. Between the wingbase and the midfield, as well as between the central and margin field is a whitish lateral band. The dark midfield is serrated on both sides. The outer cross-line limiting the midfield and shows a clearly protruding double wave. The margin field is heavily obscured below the apex. The hind wings are pale grey and have a strongly curved dark cross line. In northern Europe, adults are in the wing from March to June in one generation.

Larvae Adult caterpillars have a brown basic coloration. On the dorsum, there is reddish-brown to black-brown angled spots. The rear segments are lighter brown. The larvae feed on Galium species (often known as bedstraws) and can be found in May and June.

Pupa It overwinters in the pupal stage, in a substantial, silken cocoon spun among the foodplant.

The genus Lampropteryx was raised by the English entomologist, James Francis Stephens in 1831. The name is from the Greek (lampros, a wing) and (pteryx, bright); referring to the ″strong gloss on the forewings …″. The specific name suffumata is from the Latin (sub, somewhat) and (fumatus, smoky or smoked) and the authors Denis and Schiffermüller may have had ab. piceata Stephens before them. Ab. piceata (piceus, pitch-black) also has very glossy forewings.