Oak Hook-tip
Encyclopedia
The Oak Hook-tip is a moth
of the family Drepanidae
. It is sometimes placed in the genus Watsonalla. It is found in most of Europe
except the far north. It is quite common in England
and Wales
but not found in Scotland
and only recently in Ireland
.
The sexes differ in size (male wingspan about 30 mm, female about 35 mm) but are similar in colour. The forewings are orange-brown with three narrow yellow fascia
(the outer one being faint and sometimes absent) with two dark discal spots between the inner two fascia. The apex of the forewing is hook-shaped, giving the species its name. The hindwings are lighter orange, again with three yellow fascia. Usually two brood
s are produced each year, the adults flying in May and June and again in August . The species sometimes flies during the day, but usually flies at night and is attracted to light.
The larva
is brown with yellow markings and shows the typical drepanid shape with a tapered tail. It usually feeds on oak
but has also been recorded on alder
, beech
and birch
. The species overwinters as a pupa
.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the family Drepanidae
Drepanidae
The Drepanidae are a family of moths with about 1000 species recorded worldwide. They are generally divided in three subfamilies which share the same type of hearing organ. Thyatirinae, previously often placed in their own family, bear a superficial resemblance to Noctuidae...
. It is sometimes placed in the genus Watsonalla. It is found in most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
except the far north. It is quite common in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
but not found in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and only recently in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
The sexes differ in size (male wingspan about 30 mm, female about 35 mm) but are similar in colour. The forewings are orange-brown with three narrow yellow fascia
Fascia
A fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that permeates the human body. A fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding those structures together in much the same manner as plastic wrap can be used to hold the contents of sandwiches...
(the outer one being faint and sometimes absent) with two dark discal spots between the inner two fascia. The apex of the forewing is hook-shaped, giving the species its name. The hindwings are lighter orange, again with three yellow fascia. Usually two brood
Offspring
In biology, offspring is the product of reproduction, of a new organism produced by one or more parents.Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way...
s are produced each year, the adults flying in May and June and again in August . The species sometimes flies during the day, but usually flies at night and is attracted to light.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
is brown with yellow markings and shows the typical drepanid shape with a tapered tail. It usually feeds on oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
but has also been recorded on alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
, beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
. The species overwinters as a pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
.
- The flight season refers to the British IslesBritish IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. This may vary in other parts of the range.