Invertebrates
Buff-tip
Phalera bucephala · also called buff-tip moth
On a birch trunk in the morning light, a buff-tip sits motionless, its silvery wings wrapped tight and tipped with buff, so like a broken twig that it is almost impossible to see.
Overview
The buff-tip, Phalera bucephala, is a Not Evaluated moth of woodland, hedgerows, and gardens across Europe and temperate Asia. Its twig-like disguise and group-feeding caterpillars make it one of the most remarkable examples of camouflage among European moths.
A moth that looks like wood
When resting, the buff-tip folds its wings around its body so that its pale tips look like the broken end of a twig, a disguise that is hard to spot even from close range.
Status
Not Evaluated globally, though widespread and common.
Buff-tip: common questions
Why does the buff-tip look like a twig?
Its silvery-grey wings, wrapped around its body with buff-yellow tips, resemble a snapped-off birch twig, which hides it from predators.
What do buff-tip caterpillars eat?
They feed together in groups on the leaves of trees such as birch, oak, willow, and hazel.
Do buff-tip caterpillars damage trees?
A group can strip a branch of its leaves, but the tree usually recovers.
Where is the buff-tip found?
It lives in woodland, hedgerows, and gardens across Europe and temperate Asia.