Oak Beauty

Biston strataria

This record describes Biston strataria (species). Recorded family: Geometridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Wingspan 40-50 mm. A large-bodied, attractive species with alternate bands of chestnut and white, speckled with black. Frequents deciduous woodland and suburban habitats. The caterpillars feed on a number of deciduous trees; the species is not restricted to Oak. Reasonably common in England and Wales, scarcer in Scotland and Ireland.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Biston

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Frequents deciduous woodland and suburban habitats.

Seasonal Activity

It flies in March and April.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The caterpillars feed on a number of deciduous trees; the species is not restricted to Oak.

Additional species information

Recorded status

Reasonably common in England and Wales, scarcer in Scotland and Ireland.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Biston strataria. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.

Ecological role of the group

Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.

Economic and practical significance of the group

Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.

Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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