Description: Wingspan 19-22 mm. Forewings pale ochreous white with darker flecks giving an overall mottled appearance. There is a dark discal spot in the costa and a series of brown coloured patches along the costal edge. The hindwings are similar with a small black discal spot. Mid-April to mid-May. Skinner gives May and early June as the normal flight period in Britain.

World Distribution: Eurasiatic; widespread across Europe and north Africa.

Irish Distribution: A scarce species with few genuine records. There are confirmed records from Loughgall, Armagh in the late 1970s, mid-eighties and early 1990s, Hillsborough, Down 1997 and the Argory, Armagh 1998 and 2000. Like many woodland species it has in some areas suffered a decline with the loss of general woodland habitat. It is easily overlooked and probably has a wider distribution that current records suggest.

Ecology: A species that is mainly associated with wooded habitats and hedgerows where its foodplant is often abundant. The larvae feed from late June until August on Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and oak Quercus spp. It overwinters as a pupa.

Key Identification Features:

• Mottled appearance of forewings
• Darkish patches along the costa and a black discal spot
• Discal spot on hind wings

Distribution Map from NBN: Eupithecia dodoneata at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Eupithecia dodoneata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.