March tubic
The March tubic is a pale grey speckled moth that flies in early spring, from March to May. The male can fly well, but the female is smaller and has short wings. During the day the males rest on tree trunks, where they blend in with the bark.
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Fun facts
The mother lays her eggs in batches of a hundred or more on twigs.
The caterpillar hides between two leaves that it spins together flat.
The caterpillars grow very slowly, from late May to October.
In some old factory areas of England, many of these moths are very dark.
Most asked questions about March tubic
?Why is it called the March tubic?
Because the moths come out in early spring, starting in March.
?What does the March tubic caterpillar eat?
Leaves of many trees and bushes, like oak, beech, birch, hazel and willow.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Diurnea fagella
- Named by
- Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Chimabachidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Chimabachidae
- Lives on
- Europe
- Also known as
- March dagger moth
Where the facts come from
- Diurnea fagella (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Michael Kurz. CC BY-SA 3.0 at, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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