Alder Quaker
Common NameAlder Quaker
Scientific NameOrthosia incerta
FamilyNoctuidae
SubfamilyHadeninae
Wingspan (mm)37
Primary Colorsbrown, dark brown
HabitatDeciduous woodlands, parks, gardens, hedgerows
Geographic RangeEurope, North Africa, parts of Asia
Host Plantsalder, willow, oak, birch, elm, hawthorn
Flight PeriodMarch to May
Flight Stylefluttering
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Lifecycle NotesThe species overwinters as an adult, emerging in early spring to lay eggs. Larvae feed on various deciduous trees and pupate in the soil.
Identification TipsLook for its early spring flight period, robust body, and the characteristic mottled brown forewings with often well-defined dark stigmata, though coloration can be quite variable.
Description
A medium-sized, robust moth with mottled reddish-brown to grey-brown forewings, often displaying distinct dark kidney-shaped and circular stigmata, and faint wavy transverse lines.
