70.106 : 1799 : 8447
Geometridae : Larentiinae

Winter Moth

OPEROPHTERA brumata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 22-33mm : Female Wingless
Worldwide Distribution: Palaearctic Region : Europe : Not Corsica : through to the Caucasus
UK Distribution: Occurs throughout most of Britain
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena brumata Linnaeus 1758
Type Species - Operophtera
  • Phalaena brumata Linnaeus 1758
Type Locality -
  • Not Specified
Flight Period: November-February
Habitat: Woodlands : Parks : Gardens
Similar Species -
  • Northern Winter Moth Operophtra fagata Scharfenberg, 1805
Ova: Timing of egg laying must be such that the larvae arrive just after Oak budburst or choose another of the many larval food plants, failure to do so is attributed to winter disappearance of both eggs or larvae.
Larva: April-early June : Larva drops to ground to pupate in tough cocoon either below or above ground.
Overwinters as: Ova
Observations: The larva of the Winter Moth is truly polyphagous using larval food plants from many plant families,some of which are major cropping varieties used in food production by us, making it a pest when larvae reach such high numbers that they completely defoliate small trees and shrubs.

The male varies in pattern and colour from greyish brown to sooty brown with traverse lines that become blurred.
The female has only wing stumps which are extremely short, and can be found on tree trucks awaiting a passing male in order to complete her life cycle.

The Winter Moth is considered to be an invasive species into North America where infestations in orchards have been attributed to this species.
 Photo Gallery
Larva
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
  • Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Type Species - OPEROPHTERA:

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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Larentiinae
Operophterini
OPEROPHTERA Hübner, [1825]
Operophtera brumata (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Phalaena brumata Linnaeus 1758
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PHALAENA (Geometra) brumata (Linnaeus 1758)
= grisearia de Villers, 1789
= vulgaris Stephens, 1820
= myricaria Cooke, 1882
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.529 - n.201
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Not Specified
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O.b.bunei Prout, 1914-Dark median line
O.b.unicolor Lambillion, 1912-Background without distinct traverse lines
O.b.fusca Lempke, 1950-Background dark brown
O.b.nigrescens Lempke, 1950-Blackish grey-no brown tinge-some females found normal
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O.b.robineaui Leraut, 1997-Ash coloured-Southern area of Alps