70.24 BF1920

Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata

(Clerck, 1759)

Wingspan 32-40 mm.

Quite a variable species, with moths ranging from pale brown to almost black, the darker varieties having less obvious markings.

There is just one brood, flying in May and June, and the species is moderately common over most of the British Isles.

It frequents woodland, heaths and suburban habitats, and feeds on a number of deciduous as well as coniferous trees. The larvae occur in two distinct forms - a common brown form and a scarcer green form that resembles lichen in appearance.