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Buff-tip

Phalera bucephala

Not yet photographed by the community

Disguises itself as a broken birch twig at rest.

Species Profile

Green List; locally common and not of conservation concern in the UK.

Lifespan: 3–4 weeks as an adult moth
Size & Weight: 32–35 mm wingspan; robust, heavily built moth
Habitat: Woodlands, parks, gardens, and areas with abundant birch, alder, and hazel trees.
UK Distribution: Found throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; resident species with populations reinforced by immigration from continental Europe.
Diet: Larvae feed on the leaves of birch, alder, hazel, and occasionally other deciduous trees.
Predators: Birds, particularly during the larval stage; parasitoid wasps and flies.
Mating Season: May to July
Breeding: Females lay clusters of 20–60 eggs on host plant leaves; larvae are gregarious and highly conspicuous, developing through five instars before pupating in leaf litter.
Behaviour: Adults are nocturnal and attracted to light; they are well-camouaged when at rest, resembling broken twigs. Larvae are boldly coloured in black and yellow, advertising their unpalatability to predators.

Did You Know?

•The moth's name derives from its buff-coloured tip, which resembles the end of a broken birch twig, providing excellent camouflage.
•Caterpillars are gregarious and highly toxic, containing defensive compounds that deter most predators; their bold coloration warns of this toxicity.
•A single birch tree can be completely defoliated by a large aggregation of Buff-tip caterpillars in outbreak years.
•The species has expanded its range northward in recent decades, likely due to climate warming.
•Adults emerge in late spring and are among the larger nocturnal moths attracted to garden lights in May and June.

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