Description: Wingspan 38-42mm. Adults resemble a curled leaf when at rest. The ground colour of the wings tends to be a yellowish brown, with a orange yellow patch near the apex of the forewings. There is a red crossline running across the forewing close to the wing-tip and a series of small white marks along the costa. Late June and throughout July.

Irish Distribution: Widely distributed but local, the majority of records are from well-trapped sites around north Armagh including Peatlands Park, Brackagh Moss NNR and the Argory. Elsewhere it has a scattered distribution, with a few recent records from Fermanagh at Crom Estate and in Tyrone from Rehaghy and Strabane Glen. Apparently not recorded from Londonderry. It may occur more widely especially in Antrim where suitable habitat exists.

Ecology: An attractive species associated with woodland, heaths and occasionally fens. Adults are active from dusk onwards and show some attraction to light but are never seen commonly. The larvae can be found from September to May of the following year on Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum, Wild Privet Ligustrum vulgare and Ash Fraxinus excelsior. It overwinters as a larva.

Key Identification Features:

• Resemble dead leaf when at rest
• Orange yellow patch near the apex of the forewings
• Red crossline running across the forewing
• White marks along the costa

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

iNaturalist: Apeira syringaria at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.