Geometridae : Enomminae
Oak Beauty
BISTON strataria (Hufnagel, 1767)
Oak Beauty
BISTON strataria (Hufnagel, 1767)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 51-56mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - (not Balkans,Crete or Cyprus) - far east as Japan,south to N Africa
UK Distribution: South-East England - Well distributed and frequent : Wales & England north to Humber - Well distributed,less frequent : Further North to Scotland - Local : Isle of Man - very local : Channel Isles - Widespread but only occasional
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Woodland : Scrub : Urban areas
Similar Species -
Pupa: Overwinters as a pupa underground
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The Oak beauty is a relatively large moth with two purplish - brown bands,one near the base and the other adjacent to the tornus.The median area which is whitish with varying degrees of black flecks, is identified by black cross-lines which are adjacent to the purplish - brown bands.
Both sexes are similar although the female is often whiter in appearance.
Seeing the moth for the first time certainly reminded me of the Peppered Moth although this moth does not have the purplish - brown bands.
The moth prefers mature oak woodland although the larvae feed on various other woodland trees.
The male is attracted by light and is often found at the moth trap in good numbers although females less so.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - (not Balkans,Crete or Cyprus) - far east as Japan,south to N Africa
UK Distribution: South-East England - Well distributed and frequent : Wales & England north to Humber - Well distributed,less frequent : Further North to Scotland - Local : Isle of Man - very local : Channel Isles - Widespread but only occasional
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena strataria (Hufnagel, 1767)
- Geometra prodromaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
- Not specified
Habitat: Woodland : Scrub : Urban areas
Similar Species -
- Peppered Moth Biston betularia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pupa: Overwinters as a pupa underground
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The Oak beauty is a relatively large moth with two purplish - brown bands,one near the base and the other adjacent to the tornus.The median area which is whitish with varying degrees of black flecks, is identified by black cross-lines which are adjacent to the purplish - brown bands.
Both sexes are similar although the female is often whiter in appearance.
Seeing the moth for the first time certainly reminded me of the Peppered Moth although this moth does not have the purplish - brown bands.
The moth prefers mature oak woodland although the larvae feed on various other woodland trees.
The male is attracted by light and is often found at the moth trap in good numbers although females less so.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website
where further information like photos,physical
characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal
uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
- Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Fagaceaea - Oak-Chestnut & Beech Family
- Quercus robur - Pedunculate Oak - Common Oak
- Rosaceae - Rose Family
- Malus pumila - Paradise Apple
- Tiliaceae - Lime Family
- Grewia tilaefolia - No Common Name
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Betulaceae - Corylus - Hazel / Alnus - Alder
- Salicaceae - Populus - Aspen Salix - Willow
- Tiliaceae - Microcos
- Ulmaceae - Ulnus - Elms
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Grewia tilaefolia - No Common Name
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - BISTON: Nominate Subspecies: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Ennominae Bistonini BISTON Leach, [1815] Biston strataria (Hufnagel, 1767) - Geometra prodromaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) - Phalena strataria strataria(Hufnagel, 1767) - PHALAENA strataria (Hufnagel, 1767) Geometra prodromaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775) TL - Austria - Vienna district - Berlin. Magazin. 4 (4) : Title Page : p.514 - n.17 - See Geometra prodromaria above - Austria - Vienna district (invalid designation of type species) - B.s.f.melanaria Koch, 1949 - black form(melanism) B.s.f.robinaria Frings, 1898 - wings blackish brown B.s.f.extrema Lempke, 1970 - smokey coloured B.s.f.terraria Weymer, 1878 - white area replaced with yellowish grey,brown lines absent B.s.f.albescens Lempke, 1970 - wings whitish B.s.f.albata Tautel, 1993 - terminal area on all wings white,rest normal B.s.f.latefasciata Lempke, 1970 - forewing has a wide central cross-line B.s.f.crassestrigata Lempke, 1970 - forewing cross-lines black and thick - B.s.meridionalis Oberthür, 1913 - southern Europe & N Africa - lighter with feint speckles B.s.strataria (Hufnagel, 1767) - nominal subspecies B.s.laeta Moltrecht, 1927 |