ABH 70.237	Early Thorn Selenia dentaria		BF 1917
Back To	(Linnaeus, 1761)
Phenology	JAN  FEB  MAR  APR  MAY  JUN  JUL  AUG  SEP  OCT  NOV  DEC
Family	Geometridae » Ennominae
Wingspan	28-40 mm.
Description	Resting distinguishes Early Thorn from all other British Thorns. It holds its wings up over its back and pressed together like a butterfly.Melanic forms occur fairly regularly in parts of northern England. Spring brood Adults are generally more numerous, larger, and more richly marked than those of the second generation. Wings are scalloped and there are 3 crosslines on the forewings. There is a dark patch at the apex of the forewing. Melanic forms occur fairly regularly in parts of northern England. The summer brood, which appears in August and September, usually produces smaller and paler moths. Key Identification Features: Only spring-flying thorn species Double-brooded Scalloped wings Three distinct crosslines on forewings Small dark patch at apex of forewings
Life Cycle	There are two distinct generations (except in the far north), the first of which flies in April and May. The summer brood, which appears in August and September, usually produces smaller and paler moths.
Habitat	Common in woodland, scrubby heathland, hedgerows, gardens and parks throughout much of the British Isles.
Links
Images