Arched Hooktip

A fairly common widespread species; no concerns.

In Alberta adults are on the wing from mid-May through late-July.

Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, south to at least the Carolinas and California (?). In Alberta it can be found throughout the Boreal forest region, north to Bitumount and Zama, as well as in the foothills and mountain regions.

Hooktips are medium-size broad-winged geometrid-like moths with the forewing apex drawn out into a prominent curved point. The Arched Hook tip (2.4- 4.0 cm wingspan) is yellow-brown or light tan. The forewings are crossed by a series of toothed fine brown lines, with a darker curved line running from the lower margin to the hooked apex, and with two small dark dots in the discal area. The outer margins of the forewings are smooth (toothed in D. bilineata). The hindwings are white or very pale yellow-brown, faintly and incompletely crossed by a series of fine light brown bands. The sexes are similar. The related Two-lined Hooktip (D. bilineata) has darker tan forewings with toothed margins, each crossed by only two fine dark brown lines. The hindwings are unmarked or nearly so. The Rose Hooktip (Oreta rosea) is darker and two-toned dark brown or purple-brown and yellow.

Deciduous woodland with birch or alder.

The Arched Hookedtip is nocturnal and comes to light. There is a single brood each year. The larvae are solitary defoliators.

No specific Alberta data. Elsewhere in Canada reported to utilize White Birch (Betula papyrifera) and alder (Alnus sp.) as larval hosts (Prentice, 1963).