Peppered moth: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the peppered moth lives – recorded in 19 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Biston betularia
Group	Butterflies & moths
Found in	19 countries
Continents	Europe, North America
Class	Insect
Order	Lepidoptera
Family	Geometridae

Where does the peppered moth live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the peppered moth in 19 countries and territories across Europe and North America.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the peppered moth?

The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is an insect in the order Lepidoptera and the family Geometridae, genus Biston. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the peppered moth

The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is night flying, and found mainly in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Peppered moth evolution is an example of population genetics and natural selection.

The caterpillars of the peppered moth not only mimic the form but also the colour of a twig. Recent research indicates that the caterpillars can sense the twig's colour with their skin and match their body colour to the background to protect themselves from predators.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Peppered moth (revision 1364277050), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q865651 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).