Chinese character moth - Cilix glaucata - Family: Drepanidae

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Chinese character moth - Cilix glaucata
© Rob Petley-Jones

Chinese character moths are common throughout England and Wales in gardens, parks and woodland. They are more scarce in Scotland where they occur only in the south. There are two broods, which fly May to June and July to August respectively.

The wings are white, clouded with pale grey and brown patches. The moth has delicate silvery markings on some of the veins, and these suggest a character in the Chinese alphabet, hence its common name. This mixture of white with brown markings provides excellent camouflage. When at rest, with its head tucked away under its thorax, and its feet well hidden away under its wings, the moth looks just like a bird dropping! The reddish-brown caterpillars hatch in June and July and overwinter as pupae. They eat mainly hawthorn and blackthorn, but can also be found on fruit trees. They are unlikely to cause obvious damage to foliage.

Food

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna.).

Plants

Apple, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Hornbeam, Midland hawthorn, Pear