Winter moth

The winter moth (Operophtera brumata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is an abundant species of Europe and the Near East and one of very few lepidopterans of temperate regions in which adults are active in late fall and early winter. The female of this species is virtually wingless and cannot fly, but the male is fully winged and flies strongly. After the initial frosts of late fall, the females walk to and up trees, there emitting pheromones in the evening to attract males. Fertilized, she ascends to lay, on average, around 100 eggs.
Winter moths are considered an invasive species in North America. Nova Scotia, Canada, experienced the first confirmed infestations in the 1930s. The moth began to appear in eastern states of the United States in the 1950s, and is now well established in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine. In the late 1950s winter moths appeared in the Pacific northwest, and are confirmed present in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.[1] In Massachusetts, the moths have attracted the attention of several media outlets due to the severity of the infestation.[2] Efforts at biological control are underway.[3]
Category:Animals
Category:Creatures