Biston (moth)

Biston
	Oak beauty, Biston strataria
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Geometridae
Tribe:	Bistonini
Genus:	Biston; Leach, 1815
Synonyms
	Dasyphara Billberg, 1820; Pachys Hübner, 1822; Eubyja Hübner, 1825; Amphidasis Treitschke, 1825; Amphidasys Sodoffsky, 1837; Amphidasea Unger, 1856; Buzura Walker, 1863; Culcula Moore, 1888; Eubyjodonta Warren, 1893; Blepharoctenia Warren, 1894; Epamraica Matsumura, 1910;

Biston is a genus of large, long-winged moths belonging to the family Geometridae. It is most notable for containing the well-known peppered moth. The genus was first described by William Elford Leach in 1815.

Distribution

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

Description

In 1895, British etymologist George Hampson described characteristics of the genus as follows:

"Its palpi are short and hairy. The thorax is stout and clothed with a thick pile. Its legs are hairy. The hind tibia are not dilated and have slight spurs. The forewings have rounded apexes and oblique outer margins. Vein 3 from near angle of cell. Veins 7 to 9 stalked from near the upper angle, and veins 10 and 11 stalked, where 10 often connected with veins 8 and 9. Hindwings with long cells and vein 3 from the angle."^[1]

Diversity

The genus currently contains 54 species and 40 subspecies.

Species

Species include:

Biston achyra Wehrli, 1936
Biston bengaliaria (Guenée, 1857)
Biston betularia (Linnaeus, 1758) – peppered moth
Biston brevipennata Inoue, 1982
Biston bura (Warren, 1894)
Biston contectaria (Walker, 1863)
Biston exalbescens Inoue, 2000
Biston falcata (Warren, 1893)
Biston giganteus Inoue
Biston hypoleucus Kuznetsov, 1901
Biston inouei Holloway, 1993
Biston insularis (Warren, 1894)
Biston marginata Shiraki, 1913
Biston mediolata Jiang, Nan, Dayong Xue & Hongxiang Han, 2011
Biston melacron Wehrli, 1941
Biston multidentata (Guedet, 1941)
Biston panterinaria (Bremer & Grey, 1853)
Biston pelidna Prout
Biston perclara (Warren, 1899)
Biston pustulata (Warren, 1896)
Biston quercii (Oberthür, 1910)
Biston regalis (Moore, 1888)
Biston robustum Butler, 1879
Biston strataria (Hufnagel, 1767) – oak beauty
Biston subregalis Inoue
Biston suppressaria (Guenée, 1857)
Biston thibetaria (Oberthür, 1886)
Biston thoracicarius (Oberthür, 1884)
Biston tianschanicus Wehrli, 1940

References

^ Hampson, G. F. (1895). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume III. Vol. Moths - Vol. III. Taylor and Francis. p. 245. Retrieved 4 March 2024 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

Savela, Markku. "Biston Leach, [1815]". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae. Version: 29 December 2011 [1] Full description
Caterpillar Hostplant Database^{[permanent dead link]}
Nomina Insecta Nearctica
Fauna Europaea

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[1] Hampson, G. F. (1895). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume III. Vol. Moths - Vol. III. Taylor and Francis. p. 245. Retrieved 4 March 2024 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

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