Description: Wingspan 30-36mm. Forewings usually straw coloured with a dark brown costal streak. The stigmata have a paler streak running to the outer margin. Postmedial line is a series of small dark-coloured dots; forewings pale whitish brown with a dark broken line at outer margin. Mid May to late August.

World Distribution: Widespread in western Europe as far north as Norway and south to Portugal.

Irish Distribution: Widely distributed and recorded from all counties and also Rathlin Island, Antrim. Most recent records from Armagh and Down.

Ecology: A species found in a wide variety of habitats including woodland margins, gardens and hedgerows. Adults are commonly encountered at light and occasionally visit flowers. The larvae are polyphagous and feed at night from July to October. It overwinters as a pupa.

Key Identification Features:

• Resembles a dead piece of wood when at rest
• Pale streak running from the stigmata to the apex of the forewing
• Dark patches at the outer margin of forewing

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

iNaturalist: Axylia putris at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.