Bug FAQRose Hooktip
Oreta rosea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Drepanidae
Also called: Rose Hooktip Moth
The rose hooktip moth has a wingspan of about 25 to 34 mm. It lives in moist temperate hardwood forests across boreal Canada to eastern North America. Caterpillars feed on hardwood trees such as birch and viburnum.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Oreta rosea, called the rose hooktip moth, belongs to the Drepanidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 25 to 34 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers moist temperate hardwood forests.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on various hardwoods, including birch (Betula) and viburnum species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to September, producing two generations each year. Caterpillars can be found from July to October.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is found in North America, from boreal Canada to eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a member of the Drepanidae family, which includes similar hook-tip moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 37 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Alabama, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, New York, Michigan, Maine.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult rose hooktip moths active?
Adults fly from May to September, with two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
What do rose hooktip caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on hardwood trees such as birch and viburnum.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the rose hooktip moth found?
It occurs across boreal Canada to eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What habitat does the rose hooktip moth prefer?
It lives in moist temperate hardwood forests.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Drepanidae)
Arched Hooktip MothDrepana arcuataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Peach Blossom MothThyatira batis
Oak Hook-tipWatsonalla binariaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Buff ArchesHabrosyne pyritoidesDamages trees, gardens or crops
Tufted Thyatirine MothPseudothyatira cymatophoroides
Pebble Hook-tipDrepana falcatariaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreta_rosea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.