Beautiful hook-tip
Its caterpillars feed only on lichens growing on tree bark, a diet shared by very few other moths in the region.
| Where | Woodland, parks and orchards |
|---|---|
| Size | 23 to 27 mm wingspan |
| When | May to September |
The Beautiful Hook-tip is a small grey brown moth with a faint pale cross line and a slightly hooked tip to each forewing, giving the species its name.
It flies mainly in one generation from early to late summer, with a small second generation in some southern areas in autumn. Caterpillars feed on lichens covering the bark of broadleaf and coniferous trees.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Grey, Brown
Active
Night
To people
Attracted to light after dark; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Similar grey brown coloring at about 26 to 30 mm wingspan, but with a less distinctly hooked wingtip and a more contrasted dark central band.
Questions
Is the Beautiful hook-tip dangerous to people?
Attracted to light after dark; harmless to people.
When can you see the Beautiful hook-tip?
The Beautiful hook-tip can be seen from May to September, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Erebid moths›Laspeyria
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.