American Oak Beauty
Phaeoura quernaria
The caterpillar is a master of disguise, mimicking a broken oak twig so perfectly that even hungry birds overlook it.
- Scientific name
- Phaeoura quernaria
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Geometridae › Phaeoura
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous and mixed forests, particularly oak woodlands.
- Diet
- Caterpillars feed on oak, cherry, and other hardwood leaves; adults do not feed.
- Range
- Eastern United States, Southeastern Canada
- Size
- Wingspan of 35-55 mm (1.4-2.2 inches)
- Lifespan
- 1 year (adults live only 1-2 weeks)
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, widespread pesticide application, and artificial light pollution.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. It is completely safe to observe from any distance. If one lands on you, it cannot bite or sting. To help them, turn off outdoor lights at night to prevent them from becoming disoriented.
Phaeoura quernaria , the Oak Beauty , is a moth of the Geometridae family. It is found in eastern North America, occurring as far west as east-central Alberta. The habitat consists of aspen-cherry shrubland.
Photo: Aaron Carlson, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/0fef0c82-99e7-421d-9b33-6064f586af03.md