Species Details

ABH: 65.002

BF: 1646

Family: Drepanidae

Subfamily: Drepaninae

Taxon: Watsonalla binaria

Authority: (Hufnagel, 1767)

Vernacular: Oak Hook-tip

Account: Common in oak woodland, hedgerows, parks and gardens throughout England, a species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, female 34-40 mm. Somewhat similar to Barred Hook-tip W. cultraria, but larger and lacking dark cross-band of Barred Hook-tip. Larva feeds on Pedunculate and Sessile Oak, 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: male 30 — 34 mm; female 34 — 40 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 22 Apr (2007) — 15 Oct (2024)

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

Foodplant: Betula pendula (Silver Birch), Quercus sp. (an oak).

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

Status: Vulnerable (VU)

UK BAP: BAP(R)

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/watsonalla-binaria/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 1338

Individuals: 779

Earliest Year: 1904

Latest Year: 2025

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