Ash-Coloured Crest

Ash-Coloured Crest

Acompsia cinerella

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at London

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

81 Verified sightings at London
15 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Ash-Coloured Crest

Acompsia cinerella, the ash-coloured sober, is a small lepidopteran species of the twirler moth family (Gelechiidae). It is the type species of the genus Acompsia, once assigned to the subfamily Anacampsinae but generally placed in the Dichomeridinae. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759.

This species can be found in most of Europe, except for Portugal and Iceland. These moths inhabit a variety of areas, preferably with rich vegetation or bushes. Acompsia cinerella has a wingspan of 16–19 mm. These moths have long upwardly-curved labial palps. The forewings show a brownish colour, without any marking. This species is rather similar to Helcystogramma rufescens. Meyrick describes it - Forewings rather light greyish-brown; stigmata sometimes faintly darker. Hindwings grey.

There are two generations per year, as it is a bivoltine species. Adults are on wing from May to September. The larvae feed on moss present on trunks of broad leaves trees, often at the base of the tree. Erstbeschreibung: Clerck, C. (1759): Icones Insectorum rariorum Cum Nominibus eorum trivialibus, locisqve... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
<5%
3 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Ash-Coloured Crest in London?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Ash-Coloured Crest sighting in London on a given day, based on 81 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 388th most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Ash-Coloured Crest in London?

July and August

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Ash-Coloured Crest in London on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see an Ash-Coloured Crest?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ash-Coloured Crest sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is London the best place to see an Ash-Coloured Crest?

Yes

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Ash-Coloured Crest sightings, London has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Helsinki (Finland, under 5%) and Moscow (Russia, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Ash-Coloured Crest live in London?

Same family: Gelechiidae

The closest relatives of the Ash-Coloured Crest that you can see in London (family Gelechiidae, Twirler Moths) are Dark Groundling (about 10%), Cinerous Neb (about 10%) and House Neb (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Ash-Coloured Crest sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ash-Coloured Crest is recorded against all the insects logged in London (81 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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