''Operophtera fagata'', the northern winter moth, is a

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

of the family

Geometridae The geometer moths are moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyleti ...

. It is widespread through much of Europe.

Geographic distribution

This species’ range extends through central and northern

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

to southeast

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. It is widespread in the UK and Northern Ireland.

Habitat

In Europe, this species prefers common beech woodland, but will also use

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

.Kellner J. 2005. Proposed separation of male ''Operophtera fagata'' (Scharfenberg, 1805) from ''Operophtera fumata'' (Linnaeus, 1758) by their genitalia (Lep., Geometridae). ''Entomologische Nacrichten und Berichte'' 49: 191 – 193. The

larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...

feed on

apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

(''Malus''), plum, cherry (''

Prunus ''Prunus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs from the family (biology), family Rosaceae. The genus includes plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and almonds (collectively Drupe, stonefruit). The genus has a cosm ...

''),

(''Betula''), lime (''Tilia''),

beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

(''Fagus'').

Morphology

Egg

The oval egg is blunt at the micropyle end and has a strongly reticulated surface. It is pale green at first, becoming pale orange.name = "Carter"

Caterpillar

The larva is initially greenish black with white lines along the body and black or dark brown head. It gradually becomes more yellowish green.

Pupa

The pupa is yellowish brown and larger than in ''O. brumata''. The cremaster comprises a short, stout shaft with long divergent spikes.

Adult

The adult male measures up to 33 mm in body length. The

forewings Insect wings are adult outgrowths of the insect exoskeleton that enable insect flight, insects to fly. They are found on the second and third Thorax (insect anatomy), thoracic segments (the mesothorax and metathorax), and the two pairs are often ...

are silvery greyish brown with dark brown crossbands. The hindwing is yellowish white. The head and body are pale yellowish brown. The female is smaller and has greatly reduced wings, so is flightless.

Similar species

This species morphologically resembles its congener ''

Operophtera brumata The winter moth (''Operophtera brumata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is an abundant species in Europe and the Near East and a famous study organism for evaluating insect population dynamics. It is one of very few lepidopterans of te ...

'', but males of ''O. fagata'' are slightly larger and do not have the brown underwings characteristic of ''Operophtera brumata''. Microscopically, there are also clear differences in the morphology of the genitalia between the two species. In ''O. fagata'', the

uncus The uncus is an anterior extremity of the parahippocampal gyrus. It is separated from the apex of the temporal lobe by a sulcus called the rhinal sulcus. Although superficially continuous with the hippocampal gyrus, the uncus forms morphol ...

is more pointed with a broader and flatter base that is more triangular in ''O. brumata'' (Kellner, 2005). Although co-occurring in the same habitat with overlapping flight times, the two species do not interbreed, which is probably because females produce species-specific

pheromones A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavi ...

that attract males of only their own species.

Reproduction and life history

From mid-May until early June, mature larvae fall from trees to the woodland floor to pupate in the soil. They remain there until October and November when adults emerge to reproduce.Tomalak M. 2003. Biocontrol potential of entomopathogenic nematodes against winter moths (''Operophtera brumata'' and ''O. fagata'') (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) infesting urban trees. ''Biocontrol Science and Technology'' 13(5): 517 – 527. Wingless females crawl up tree trunks, while males fly in swarms at night to encounter females to mate with. Females lay eggs on twigs close to leaf buds in November, where they overwinter. In the UK, adults are active October - December. The larvae hatch April – May, which in Europe happens at the same time as birch leaves come out.

Pest status

The larva of this moth can be a serious pest of fruit trees in northern Britain by attacking the foliage and blossom. Damage to fruit trees by defoliation is more likely when birch trees, a natural host plant, are growing nearby. In Northern and Central Europe, the larva is a serious defoliator of beech and birch plantations and can sometimes destroy whole seedling plantations.Escherich K. 1931. ''Die Forstinsekten Mitteleuropas''. Tom. 3. D-Berlin: Paul Parrey, pp. 558 – 595

References

External links

Northern winter moth at UK Moths

Fauna Europaea

Lepiforum.de

Vlindernet.nl
{{Authority control Operophtera Moths described in 1805 Moths of Europe Moths of Asia