Species Details

ABH: 70.106

BF: 1799

Family: Geometridae

Subfamily: Larentiinae

Taxon: Operophtera brumata

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular: Winter Moth

Account: Extremely common, in woodland, parks and gardens throughout much of the British Isles. In Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight abundant throughout: the map shows an unjustified bias towards the New Forest. Wingspan male 28-33 mm, female wingless. For a comparison of this species and the closely related Northern Winter Moth, click here. Larva polyphagous on most broad-leaved trees and shrubs, causing sufficient damage to be a serious pest in some areas, especially in orchards.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: male 28 — 33 mm; female wingless

Surrey Flight Period: —

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Calluna sp., Myrica sp., Polyphagous.

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 2 — Care needed to identify, an image may be required 🤔
Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/operophtera-brumata/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 597

Individuals: 989

Earliest Year: 1833

Latest Year: 2025

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