Oak Beauty

Oak Beauty - Biston strataria

Description

Wingspan 40-50 mm. A large-bodied, attractive species with alternate bands of chestnut and white, speckled with black.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Frequents deciduous woodland and suburban habitats.

When to see it

It flies in March and April.

Life History

The caterpillars feed on a number of deciduous trees; the species is not restricted to Oak.

UK Status

Reasonably common in England and Wales, scarcer in Scotland and Ireland.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent but not common in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = B (scarce resident or restricted distribution or regular migrant).

Reference
70.251 BF1930

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

All NatureSpot records