DREPANIDAE
Seven species of this family, known as the Hook-tips, have been found in the British Isles (one, the Dusky Hook-tip, is a rare immigrant), five of which have been recorded in Dorset. They range in wingspan from 25 to 40 mm, and, with one exception, are various shades of brown with a curved or hooked forewing apex. The bodies of all larvae taper to a raised sharp point and this characteristic caused the family originally to be grouped with the Kittens and the Prominents with a generic name of Cuspidates. Hook-tip larvae eat the foliage of deciduous trees and shrubs, and all are double-brooded (at least in southern England) with one of the broods overwintering as a pupa within a cocoon. All moths are nocturnal and are readily attracted to light.
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1645 Falcataria lacertinaria (Linnaeus, 1758) SCALLOPED HOOK-TIP A widespread species in Britain, the larva feeding on birch (Betula spp.). In Dorset, the moth is common in woodland containing birch. Elsewhere, it is seen only occasionally. Two brood cycles are suspected: the main mid-May and early August double brood, where the peak of the second brood is on average, three times arger than that of the first brood, and a smaller single brood, with the main peak in June. The following singletons trapped in hot summers may have been offspring from the June brood: Arne Wood, at MV on 26 September 1983 and 14 September 1984 (B Pickess). The period of time between the respective peaks of each cycle is roughly seventy-eight days. The national norm is for a single brood in northern Britain in early June, and a double brood further south.
1646 Watsonalla binaria (Hufnagel, 1767) OAK HOOK-TIP A species found in England and Wales, the larva feeding on oak (Quercus spp). In Dorset, the moth occurs wherever old oaks grow in parks, hedgerows, fields and woods. The moth tends to be absent from coastal localities due to the lack of deciduous oak trees, but it is common at Durlston where it probably feeds on the dominant tree there, evergreen oak (Quercus ilex), a species that is resistant to salt spray. The peak of the second brood is on average, three times larger than that of the first brood. The following moths suggest an occasional partial third brood: Arne Wood, at MV on 19 September 1977 (B Pickess), Gaunts Common, at MV on 21 September 1989, eleven between 14 September 1992 and 20 September 1992, 1 October 1994, 19 September 1998 (P Davey).
1647 Watsonalla cultraria (Fabricius, 1775) BARRED HOOK-TIP A species restricted to southern Britain, the larva feeding on beech (Fagus sylvatica). The least common ‘Hook-tip’ in Dorset, but found commonly enough in beech plantation and deciduous woodland containing mature beech. The moth has been observed flying during the daytime in sunshine close to its habitat, for example, at the edge of beech plantation at Melbury Wood in the middle of the afternoon on 11 May 2002 (P Davey). The following records refer to likely third generation individuals: Puddletown, at MV on 30 September 2000 (H Wood Homer), Stubhampton Bottom, at MV on 22 September 1995 (P Davey). The following moth was trapped well away from potential habitat, at a time when the airflow was offshore, light and from the north-east: Portland, at MV light on 3 September 1996 (M Cade).
1648 Drepana falcataria (Linnaeus, 1758) PEBBLE HOOK-TIP A species with a wide distribution in Britain, the larva feeding on birch (Betula spp.) and alder (Alnus spp.). In Dorset, the moth is common in deciduous woodland containing birch, and at low density in the alder swamps at Powerstock Common. Elsewhere it occurs singly and often at times of immigration, suggesting a dispersive tendency. Such individuals occasionally appear as late as October, and it is worth checking to see if these are in fact Dusky Hook-tip1649. The moth shares a similar distribution and dual-brood pattern to the Scalloped Hook-tip1645, and like that species, a significant number of adult moths have been noted between the two broods, from mid-June to mid July. In warm years, small numbers are on the wing during late September and October. The period of time between the peaks of the bivoltine cycle is seventy-five days on average.
1651 Cilix glaucata (Scopoli, 1763) CHINESE CHARACTER A species occurring in all districts apart from northern Scotland, the larva feeding on blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), apple (Malus spp.), bramble (Rubus fruticosus) and pear (Pyrus communis). The snowy-white ground colour of the moth plus its roof-like posture when at rest gives the impression of a bird dropping. The vernacular name comes from the pattern made by the group of silvery scales on the branched wing rays in the centre of the forewing. In Dorset, the moth is common where blackthorn abounds, at low density where hawthorn is dominant, and rarely seen in habitats where blackthorn and hawthorn are absent. The peak of the second brood is on average, twice as large as that of the first.
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