Peppered Geometer moth (English name: Biston betularia)

Japanese: オオシモフリエダシャク（英語表記）Biston betularia

A moth of the family Geometridae, order Lepidoptera. It is well known in Europe. It is a medium-sized moth with a forewing width of 38-50 mm. The upper part of the wings is white with black dots scattered in a marbled pattern and a row of black horizontal stripes. The underside has similar patterns. The larvae feed on birch, cottonwood, and linden trees. The adults are seen in mountainous areas (flatlands in Hokkaido) in summer, and when they are resting on birch, it is difficult to distinguish the bark from the background. It is known that during the Industrial Revolution in England, when the surrounding area became dirty with soot from factory smoke, the number of melanistic forms of the European subspecies of this species increased to adapt to the environment. This is due to a change in balance caused by birds eating the whitish normal forms, but this proves that this species is highly adaptable.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

鱗翅目シャクガ科。エダシャク類の1種で，ヨーロッパでよく知られているガ。前翅開張幅 38～50mmの中型種。翅表は白色地に黒色の小点を霜降り状に散らし，黒色の横紋列がある。裏面も同じような紋をもつ。幼虫はシラカンバ，ハコヤナギ，シナノキなどを食べる。成虫は夏期山地 (北海道では平地) にみられ，シラカンバなどに止っていると背地と樹皮との見分けがつきにくい。本種のヨーロッパ亜種では，イギリスの産業革命時，工場からの排煙で周囲がすすでよごれると，環境に合せるように暗化型のふえたことが知られている。白っぽい通常型が鳥に食われたことによるバランスの変化によるが，こうしてこの種は適応性の強い種であることが証明された。

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