Bug FAQPale Oak Beauty
Hypomecis punctinalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
The pale oak beauty moth has a wingspan of about 46 to 55 mm and forewings 22 to 26 mm long, with a grey-white ground colour, brownish tinge, fine black dusting, conspicuous transverse lines and a pale-centred, dark-ringed discal mark. Adults fly in a single generation from late April through July across central and southern Europe, parts of Asia and western China.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are grey-white with a brownish tint, fine black dusting, clear transverse lines and a discal spot that is pale in the centre and dark-ringed.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 46 to 55 mm. Forewing length is 22 to 26 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on a variety of trees, notably oak and birch.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight period spans late April through July.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell it apart from similar moths?
It lacks the pale spot at the forewing apex that Hypomecis roboraria has.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Geometridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypomecis_punctinalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.