WAVED UMBER

ADULT: Wingspan 36 - 42mm.  A geometrid moth of distinct colouring with the wings held flat when at rest and of a mix of cream, black and burnt umber thus giving a very cryptic appearance.  The fringes to the wings are scalloped and wavy which, along with the umber shades, gives the moth its English name.  A melanic form is less frequently seen.  LARVA: The larvae vary in colour from greyish-brown to almost black and feed on garden privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) and lilac (Syringa vulgaris). The full grown larva spins a cocoon on a twig of the foodplant. The cocoon is covered with fragments of bark to create perfect camouflage. BEHAVIOUR: Attracted to light in small numbers. HABITAT: Woodlands, scrub, hedgerows parks and gardens.  FLIGHT PERIOD: April to June. STATUS: Frequent throughout southern Britain becoming scarcer towards the north.