Photo © Glynne Evans

Dusky Hook-tip

Drepana curvatula

Checklist Number
65.004 [B&F: 1649]

Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure

Classification

Family:Drepanidae
Subfamily:Drepaninae
Genus:Drepana
Species:curvatula
Authority:(Borkhausen, 1790)

Rare immigrant from mainland Europe, appearing in southern and eastern England. First recorded at Dungeness, Kent, in August 1960. In Hampshire the UK's fifth record was discovered at Totton in August 1991. Recorded on the Isle of Wight for the first time at Freshwater in 2002. Wingspan male 37-40 mm, female 40-49 mm. Can easily be overlooked as a dark Pebble Hook-tip D. falcataria, but in that species the outer discal spot on the forewing is much larger than the other two, and on the hindwing the cross-lines in Pebble Hook-tip are more jagged and the wing is noticeably paler towards the costa (MBGBI Vol 7 part 2). Larva feeds on Silver Birch, Downy Birch, Alder and Oak, no evidence of breeding in the UK.

The abundance in each month is indicated as follows:

No records
Very occasional
Irregular
Uncommon
Off-peak, but not unusual
Off-peak, but not unusual
Main flight time
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Adult
Larval

Records by week (adult)

Records by week (larval)

No Larval records to show.

VC10 Isle of Wight

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Freshwater (SZ38)06/08/2002oneDavid B WooldridgeAdult
Niton (SZ57)20/07/2018oneIain OutlawAdult
Shanklin (SZ58)22/07/2018oneIain OutlawAdult
Osborne Wood (SZ59)18/07/2022oneIain OutlawAdult

VC11 South Hampshire

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Totton (SU31)21/08/1991oneMike JeffesAdult
Wickham Common (SU51)17/08/2017oneKevin CokerAdult
Wickham Common (SU51)27/08/2017oneKevin CokerAdult
Boscombe (SZ19)21/08/2021oneGuy BroomeAdult