Tuesday 21 May Peppered moth (Biston betularia) What’s the
World’s Favourite Species?Find out here. Peppered moth fact file
- Find out more - Print factsheet Peppered moth description In
its typical form, the Peppered Moth has pepper-and-salt
camouflage pattern. In some areas it also has a sooty black or
‘melanic’ form known as carbonaria (2) (4). The long, stick-like
caterpillar may be various shades of brown or green, with small
warts and projections that resemble bark. The head is deeply
notched (3).Top Peppered moth biology This species is single-
brooded, with a protracted emergence. Adults are on the wing
from May into August. Females lay their eggs in large batches,
but the newly hatched caterpillars soon disperse. They spin silk
threads and float off downwind until they land again by chance.
Fortunately they can eat a very wide range of deciduous trees
and shrubs. Caterpillars feed only at night, and are full-grown
in September. The pupal stage overwinters in the soil and adults
emerge the following sp