Species Details

ABH: 70.268

BF: 1944

Family: Geometridae

Subfamily: Ennominae

Taxon: Hypomecis punctinalis

Authority: (Scopoli, 1763)

Vernacular: Pale Oak Beauty

Account: Common in broad-leaved woodland, scrub, parks and gardens throughout much of southern England The main confusion species is Great Oak Beauty H. roboraria, which differs in dark border to apex of underwing of forewing. Larva feeds on Oak, Birch, Hazel, Hawthorn, Apple and Sallow, over-wintering as a pupa.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: 46 — 55 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 25 Apr (2007) — 11 Aug (2023)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore), Betula sp. (a birch), Quercus sp. (an oak), Salix sp. (a sallow).

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 2 — Care needed to identify 🤔
Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/hypomecis-punctinalis/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 702

Individuals: 659

Earliest Year: 1881

Latest Year: 2025

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