For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the U.K.
Chinese Character Moths
Identify It > Moth Section > Chinese Character Moths >
Scientific name: Cilx glaucata
Size: Wingspan up to 25mm
Distribution: Found throughout the UK
Months seen: April to June, and again between July and September
Habitat: Hedgerows, open woodlands, parks and gardens
Food: The larvae feed on bramble, crab apple, hawthorn and blackthorn
Special features: In order to avoid being predated by birds, Chinese Character moths have taken on the form of the thing that is least interesting to birds. At rest they look just like bird droppings.
There are two broods each year - one in spring, and a second in late summer. The caterpillars are brownish-purple in colour. There is a large pointed hump behind the head and a pointed tip at the tail end.
Chinese Character Moths are readily attracted to light.
Related Pages
