65.003 BF1647

Barred Hook-tip Watsonalla cultraria

(Fabricius, 1775)

Wingspan 20-28 mm.

Distributed locally in the southern half of Britain, this is a double-brooded species, with the adults appearing in May and June, then again in late July and August.

At night it is attracted to light, but the males also fly in the sunshine, when they can be seen usually among the higher branches of beech trees.

The caterpillar is brown, with a pale blotch on the back, and a short tail horn. It feeds on beech (Fagus), and pupates in a cocoon between two leaves.