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Peppered moth
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== Description == The wingspan ranges from 45 mm to 62 mm (median 55 mm). It is relatively stout-bodied, with forewings relatively narrow-elongate. The wings are white, "peppered" with black, and with more-or-less distinct cross lines, also black. These transverse wing lines and "peppered" maculation (spotting) can also, in rare instances, be gray or brown; the spotting pattern, in particularly very rare cases, is sometimes a combination of brown and black/gray.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Photos of Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) Β· iNaturalist|url=https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/143517-Biston-betularia/browse_photos|access-date=2020-11-16|website=iNaturalist|language=en}}</ref> The black speckling varies in amount, in some examples it is almost absent, whilst in others it is so dense that the wings appear to be black sprinkled with white. The antennae of males are strongly bipectinate.<ref>Richard South, 1909 ''The Moths of the British Isles'' Frederick Warne</ref><ref>Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. ''British insects: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae''. Version: 29 December 2011</ref> Prout (1912β16) gives an account of the forms and congeners.<ref>Prout, L. B. (1912β16). Geometridae. In A. Seitz (ed.) ''The Macrolepidoptera of the World''. The Palaearctic Geometridae, 4. 479 pp. Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart.[https://archive.org/details/macrolepidoptera1216seit pdf]</ref><ref>Pasi Sihvonen and Peder Skou , 2015 In: Axel Hausmann (Hrsg.):, 2015 ''The Geometrid Moths of Europe''. 1. Auflage. Volume 5: Ennominae I, Stenstrup 2015, 978-90-04-26573-8</ref> <gallery mode=packed heights="160px"> (MHNT) Biston betularia - Lustenice Czech Republic - Male dorsal.jpg|''Biston betularia'' β (MHNT) Biston betularia - Lustenice Czech Republic - Male ventral.jpg|''Biston betularia'' β β³ </gallery>
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