Ling Owlet
CR

Ling Owlet

Scythris empetrella

Unknown

Photo: Photo: (c) pascallosekoot, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Overview

Scythris empetrella is a moth of the family Scythrididae described by Ole Karsholt and Ebbe Nielsen in 1976 and found in Europe.

The Ling Owlet faces severe population declines due to habitat loss from deforestation and agricultural expansion across its limited range. Climate change is altering the specific microhabitat conditions this specialized moth requires, while light pollution disrupts its nocturnal behavior patterns and reproductive cycles.

Threat summary

Habitat

Inhabits heathlands, moorlands, and bog margins where crowberry (Empetrum) grows, typically in northern European montane and subarctic environments. This specialized moth is closely associated with Empetrum-dominated plant communities in acidic, nutrient-poor soils at elevations ranging from sea level to montane zones.

Other threatened species in Scythrididae

Sand OwletEN

Sand Owlet

Scythris cicadella

Unknown
Scythris productellaVU

Scythris productella

Unknown
White-dusted OwletVU

White-dusted Owlet

Scythris picaepennis

Unknown
VU

Least Owlet

Scythris siccella

Unknown

Threatened in Åland Islands

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
VU

Syndyas nigripes

Unknown
Chrysotus cupreusCR

Chrysotus cupreus

Unknown
VU

narulukkokiiluri

Syntormon filiger

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Ling Owlet classified as Critically Endangered?
Ling Owlet is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Ling Owlet faces severe population declines due to habitat loss from deforestation and agricultural expansion across its limited range. Climate change is altering the specific microhabitat conditions this specialized moth requires, while light pollution disrupts its nocturnal behavior patterns and reproductive cycles.
Where does Ling Owlet live?
Ling Owlet occurs in Åland Islands, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, and Netherlands (plus 3 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Ling Owlet?
The main threats to Ling Owlet are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.