70.252 : 1931 : 7686
Geometridae : Enomminae

Peppered Moth

BISTON betularia (Linnaeus,1758)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 45-62mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : North America : China :  Russia : Mongolia : Japan : North Korea : South Korea : Nepal : Kazakhstan : Kirghizstan : Turkmenistan : Georgia : Azerbaijan : Armenia
UK Distribution: Common and well distributed throughout England,Wales and lowland Scotland : Well distributed and frequent in Ireland,Isle of Man and Channel Islands
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status - 
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena (geometra) betularia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Type Species -
  • Geometra prodromaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Type Locality -
  • Not Specified
Flight Period: South-mid April-early September : Elsewhere-early May-August
Habitat: Woodland : Gardens : Parks : Scrub : Hedgerows
Similar Species -
  • Oak Beauty Biston strataria Hufnagel, 1767 - dark forms
Larva: Early July-early October : The larva is either green with light brown markings or dark brown,mimicking a twig perfectly.
Pupa: Overwinters as a pupa just below the soil
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The case study of the Peppered Moth over the past couple of centuries has given credence to "Darwins natural selection theorem" whereby in order to survive one must change in accordance to ones surroundings.Originally the "white" form of this moth was dominant and was well camouflaged against the algae covered trees,whereas the life expectancy of the melanic black form BISTON betularia f caronaria Jordan, 1869 (sootyblack,except for white spots at base of forewing) was the reverse.
With the advent of the industrial revolution,pollution killed off the algae and covered the tree bark with soot creating a habitat that would favour the dark form of this moth and as a result,over this period, it became the dominant form.
In the past couple of decades the reverse is happening and as such the dominant form is also changing.
As black turns to white there will always be grey, so it is with this moth with the generic intermediate B.b.f.insularia Thierry-Mieg, 1886.

The moth is attract to the light trap where it can often be encountered in high numbers.
Photo Gallery
Forms
B. b. f. insularia Thierry-Mieg, 1886 - Intermediate form
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
Kingdom:
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Accepted Species Name:

Type Species - BISTON:

Original Species Name:
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Literary Ref:

Type Locality:

Forms:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometroidea
Geometridae
Ennominae
Bistonini
BISTON Leach, [1815]
Biston betularia (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Geometra prodromaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
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PHALAENA (geometra) betularia (Linnaeus, 1758)
= Biston betularius Linnaeus, 1758
= Phalaena (Noctua) p-graecum Poda, 1761
= marmoraria Sepp, 1792
= Phalaena (Geometra) ulmaria Borkhausen, 1794
= Eubyja betularia
= Amphidasis huberaria Ballion, 1866
= Amphidasys betularia var. doubledayaria Millière, 1870
= Eurbyjodonta concinna Warren, 1899
= Biston cognataria alexandrina Wehrli, 1941
= Biston (Eubyjodonta) huberaria tienschana Wehrli, 1941
= Biston cognataria sinitibetica Wehrli, 1941
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.521 - n.143
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Not Specified
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B. b. f. carbonaria Jordan, 1869-Black melanic form
B. b. f. insularia Thierry-Mieg, 1886-Intermediate form
B. b. f.funbraria Lambillion, 1905-forewings like carbonaria,hindwings-inner margins white,crossed by two black lines
B. b. f.ochrearia Mansbridge, 1908-Background colour ochre yellow instead of white
B. b. f.fasciata Prout, 1915-grey median line across all wings
B. b. f.centristrigata Lempke, 1970-forewings and hindwings crossed by very black median line
B. b. f.brunnea Lempke, 1970-all wings uniform brown
B. b. f.variegata Lempke,1970-all wings black,postmedial area underlined with white
B. b. f.nigromarginata Lempke, 1953-dense covering of black speckling,margin with broad black bordering
B. b. f.benesignata Lempke, 1953-wings typical but crossed by complete black lines,outer line not interrupted near forewing cell
B. b. f.destrigata Lempke, 1953-wings typical but with no traverse lines
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B. b. betularia
B. b. cognataria Guenée, 1857)
B. b. contrasta Barnes & Benjamin, 1923
B. b. parva Leech, 1897
B. b. nepalensis Inoue, 1982