Bug FAQArched Hooktip Moth
Drepana arcuata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Drepanidae
Also called: Arched Hooktip, Masked Birch Caterpillar
Source: Wikipedia
The arched hooktip moth has a wingspan of about 2.4 to 4 cm and belongs to the Drepanidae family. It lives across Canada from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island and down the U.S. West and East coasts to North and South Carolina. Adults fly from mid-May to late July, and in the north there is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Drepana arcuata is a moth in the family Drepanidae, commonly called the arched hooktip or masked birch caterpillar.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 24 to 40 mm (about 0.9 to 1.6 in).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars eat the leaves of paper birch (Betula papyrifera) and various alder (Alnus) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In northern parts of its range there is typically one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult moths are on the wing from mid-May through late July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the same area: Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, down to the Carolinas and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 41 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, Maryland.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Are they a problem for my garden trees?
The larvae feed on birch and alder leaves, so they can cause damage to those trees.
Source: Wikipedia
When will I see adult arched hooktip moths?
Adults are active from mid-May to late July.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Drepanidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drepana_arcuata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.