2017 December 1

 

   Jochen Moehr writes from Metchosin:  Tonight we have another congregation of six winter moths here.  I am amazed by their variability.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Yes, this is another challenging case where the variation within a species seems to be at least as great as the variation between species.  The first of Jochen’s photographs below is surely Operophtera brumata.  I don’t think bruceata is ever quite as plain as this.

 

European Winter Moth Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae)

Jochen Moehr

 

  The next one is more strongly patterned, so one must consider that it might be bruceata, but I don’t think it is.  I think it is probably  O. brumata.

 

 

 

Probably European Winter Moth Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae)

 Jochen Moehr

 

 

   I believe the one below is a genuine native O. bruceata.  I hope I’m right, but I’m going to stick my neck out and omit the word “probably” in the label!

 

 

Bruce’s Winter Moth Operophtera bruceata (Lep.: Geometridae)

Jochen Moehr