''Biston'' is a genus of large, long-winged

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...

s belonging to the family

Geometridae The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek ''geo'' γεω (derivative form of or "the earth"), and ''metr ...

. It is most notable for containing the well-known

peppered moth The peppered moth (''Biston betularia'') is a temperate species of night-flying moth. It is mostly found in the northern hemisphere in places like Asia, Europe and North America. Peppered moth evolution is an example of population genetics a ...

. The genus was first described by

William Elford Leach William Elford Leach FRS (2 February 1791 – 25 August 1836) was an English zoologist and marine biologist. Life and work Elford Leach was born at Hoe Gate, Plymouth, the son of an attorney. At the age of twelve he began a medical appren ...

in 1815.

Distribution

The species of ''Biston'' are widely distributed in Holarctic, Oriental and Ethiopian regions.

Description

Palpi short and hairy. Thorax stout and clothed with thick pile. Legs hairy. Hind tibia not dilated and with slight spurs present. Forewings with rounded apex and oblique outer margin. Vein 3 from near angle of cell. Veins 7 to 9 stalked from near upper angle and veins 10, 11 stalked, where 10 often connected with veins 8 and 9. Hindwings with long cell and vein 3 from the angle.

Diversity

The genus currently contains 54 species and 40 subspecies.

Species

Species include: * ''

Biston achyra In Greek mythology, Biston (Ancient Greek: Βίστων or Βιστών) was the son of Ares and Callirrhoe, daughter of river-god Nestus. His two brothers were Odomas and Edonus (eponyms of two Thracian tribes, the Odomanti and the Edoni). Alt ...

'' Wehrli, 1936 * '' Biston bengaliaria'' (Guenée, 1857) * ''

Biston betularia The peppered moth (''Biston betularia'') is a temperate species of night-flying moth. It is mostly found in the northern hemisphere in places like Asia, Europe and North America. Peppered moth evolution is an example of population genetics an ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – peppered moth * ''

Biston brevipennata ''Biston brevipennata'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China (Tibet) and Nepal. References

Moths described in 1982 Bistonini {{Bistonini-stub ...

'' Inoue, 1982 * '' Biston bura'' (Warren, 1894) * '' Biston contectaria'' (Walker, 1863) * ''

Biston exalbescens In Greek mythology, Biston (Ancient Greek: Βίστων or Βιστών) was the son of Ares and Callirrhoe, daughter of river-god Nestus. His two brothers were Odomas and Edonus (eponyms of two Thracian tribes, the Odomanti and the Edoni). Alt ...

'' Inoue, 2000 * '' Biston falcata'' (Warren, 1893) * '' Biston giganteus'' Inoue * ''

Biston hypoleucus In Greek mythology, Biston (Ancient Greek: Βίστων or Βιστών) was the son of Ares and Callirrhoe, daughter of river-god Nestus. His two brothers were Odomas and Edonus (eponyms of two Thracian tribes, the Odomanti and the Edoni). Alt ...

'' Kuznetsov, 1901 * ''

Biston inouei In Greek mythology, Biston (Ancient Greek: Βίστων or Βιστών) was the son of Ares and Callirrhoe, daughter of river-god Nestus. His two brothers were Odomas and Edonus (eponyms of two Thracian tribes, the Odomanti and the Edoni). Alt ...

'' Holloway, 1993 * ''

Biston insularis ''Biston insularis'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in Sundaland Sundaland (also called Sundaica or the Sundaic region) is a biogeographical region of South-eastern Asia corresponding to a larger landmass that was expose ...

'' (Warren, 1894) * ''

Biston marginata ''Biston marginata'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China (Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing, Yunnan), Taiwan, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an isla ...

'' Shiraki, 1913 * ''

Biston mediolata ''Biston mediolata'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 ...

'' Jiang, Nan, Dayong Xue & Hongxiang Han, 2011 * ''

Biston melacron ''Biston melacron'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China (Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Sichuan), Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated ...

'' Wehrli, 1941 * ''

Biston multidentata In Greek mythology, Biston (Ancient Greek: Βίστων or Βιστών) was the son of Ares and Callirrhoe, daughter of river-god Nestus. His two brothers were Odomas and Edonus (eponyms of two Thracian tribes, the Odomanti and the Edoni) ...

'' (Guedet, 1941) * ''

Biston panterinaria ''Biston panterinaria'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China (Liaoning, Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Hubei, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Sichuan, G ...

'' (Bremer & Grey, 1853) * ''

Biston pelidna In Greek mythology, Biston (Ancient Greek: Βίστων or Βιστών) was the son of Ares and Callirrhoe, daughter of river-god Nestus. His two brothers were Odomas and Edonus (eponyms of two Thracian tribes, the Odomanti and the Edoni) ...

'' Prout * ''

Biston perclara ''Biston perclara'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

'' (Warren, 1899) * ''

Biston pustulata ''Biston pustulata'' is a moth of the family Geometridae Species description, first described by William Warren (entomologist), William Warren in 1896. It is found in Hainan in China, southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Sundaland. The lar ...

'' (Warren, 1896) * ''

Biston quercii ''Biston quercii'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 b ...

'' (Oberthür, 1910) * ''

Biston regalis ''Biston regalis'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China (Liaoning, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Zhejiang, Hubei, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan), Taiwan, Russia (Amur, Ussuri), Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Ind ...

'' (Moore, 1888) * ''

Biston robustum ''Biston robustum'' is a species of moth belonging to the family Geometridae. This is a large moth and is known in its native range as the giant geometer moth. It is related, and generally similar, to the famous and widespread Peppered Moth. T ...

'' Butler, 1879 * ''

Biston strataria ''Biston strataria'', the oak beauty, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is native to Europe, the Balkan countries and the Black Sea region as far as Asia Minor and the Caucasus. The species was Species description, first described by Joha ...

'' (Hufnagel, 1767) – oak beauty * ''

Biston subregalis In Greek mythology, Biston ( Ancient Greek: Βίστων or Βιστών) was the son of Ares and Callirrhoe, daughter of river-god Nestus. His two brothers were Odomas and Edonus (eponyms of two Thracian tribes, the Odomanti and the Edoni) ...

'' Inoue * ''

Biston suppressaria ''Biston suppressaria'', the tea looper, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China (Henan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Hubei, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunn ...

'' (Guenée, 1857) * ''

Biston thibetaria ''Biston thibetaria'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 ...

'' (Oberthür, 1886) * '' Biston thoracicarius'' (Oberthür, 1884) * '' Biston tianschanicus'' Wehrli, 1940

References

* *Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae. Version: 29 December 201

Full description
Caterpillar Hostplant DatabaseFauna Europaea
Bistonini {{Bistonini-stub