MOTHS

WINTER MOTH:

The Latin name for this moth is Operophtera brumata.

The winter moth is found in forests throughout Eurasia and is considered to be a pest in forests and fruit orchards because the caterpillar often strips the tree of it's bark.

These moths are on the wing in late autumn during the period of frost, snow and sleet.

This is a small moth, with a marked difference between the sexes. The male has a wingspan of 3-4cm and is lightly marked with brown and yellow. The female is virtually wingless, and incapable of flight. It moves around by crawling up the trunks of fruit trees to lay eggs in the buds. In the daytime it hides in the grass at the foot of a tree.