Scarce Chocolate-tip
Common NameScarce Chocolate-tip
Scientific NameClostera anachoreta
FamilyNotodontidae
SubfamilyNotodontinae
Wingspan (mm)40
Wing Patterncryptic
Primary Colorsgrey, brown, dark brown
HabitatWoodlands, scrub, riverbanks, fens, often near poplar and willow trees
Geographic RangeEurope (scarce in UK), temperate Asia to Japan
Host PlantsPopulus, Salix
Flight PeriodMay to August (two generations)
Flight Stylefluttering
Conservation Statusnear-threatened
Lifecycle NotesEggs are laid on host plant leaves. Larvae are greyish with orange-yellow stripes and black markings, feeding on poplar and willow. Pupation occurs in a cocoon on the host plant or in leaf litter, with the pupa overwintering.
Identification TipsLook for the cryptic grey-brown forewings with a distinct dark 'chocolate-tip' at the apex and a raised tuft of hairs at the end of the abdomen when the moth is at rest.
Description
A medium-sized moth with mottled grey-brown forewings, a distinctive dark brown patch at the apex, and a prominent tuft of hairs at the end of the abdomen when at rest.
