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.
| Biston | |
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| Oak beauty, Biston strataria | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Tribe: | Bistonini |
| Genus: | Biston Leach, 1815 |
| Synonyms | |
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Distribution edit
The species of Biston are widely distributed in Holarctic, Oriental, and Ethiopian regions.
Description edit
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 edit
The genus currently contains 54 species and 40 subspecies.
Species edit
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 edit
- ^ 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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