Description: Wingspan 45-50mm. Adult males are generally greyish-green in colour with irregular cross-lines. Males have thick hairy bodies with large comb-like antennae. The females are wingless. From early February to late March, with occasional individuals persisting into April.

World Distribution: Across central Europe east to the Urals.

Irish Distribution: Widely distributed in most counties but largest populations appear to be in sites in the Lough Neagh basin.

Ecology: An early species found mainly in woodland, bogs, and heaths. Adult males are attracted to light in moderate numbers in early spring. The moth may occasionally be found by day at rest on the trunks of trees. The larvae feed throughout late spring and early summer on a variety of trees including, oak Quercus spp., birch Betula spp., Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, willow Salix spp. and Blackthorn Prunus spinosa. It overwinters in the pupal stage.

Key Identification Features:

• Early flight period
• Hairy body
• Wingless females; males have large comb-like antennae

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

iNaturalist: Apocheima pilosaria at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.