# Peppered moth (*Biston betularia*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/peppered-moth  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is an insect in the butterflies and moths subgroup, placed in the family Geometridae and subfamily Ennominae. It belongs to the order Lepidoptera, superfamily Geometroidea and genus Biston, within the class Insecta and phylum Arthropoda. Its representative wingspan is 4.25 cm, and the Catalogue of Life lists it as a living, not extinct, species. Other English names for it include pepper-and-salt geometer and pepper-and-salt geometer moth.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 4.25 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Generations a year | One |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Lepidoptera
- family: Geometridae
- genus: Biston
- species: *Biston betularia* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Amphidasis betularia*, *Amphidasys betularia*, *Amphidasys betularia var. doubledayaria*, *Eubyja betularia*, *Phalaena betularia*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the peppered moth?

The peppered moth is an insect in the butterflies and moths subgroup. It belongs to the family Geometridae in the order Lepidoptera.

### What is the scientific name of the peppered moth?

The scientific name of the peppered moth is Biston betularia, and it is placed in the genus Biston.

### What is the wingspan of the peppered moth?

The peppered moth has a representative wingspan of 4.25 cm.

### Who named the peppered moth and when?

The peppered moth was named by Linnaeus in 1758, with the authority written as (Linnaeus, 1758).

### Is the peppered moth extinct?

No, the Catalogue of Life lists the peppered moth as living, not extinct.

### What other names does the peppered moth have?

The peppered moth is also called the pepper-and-salt geometer, pepper and salt geometer, or pepper-and-salt geometer moth.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Peppered moth (Biston betularia). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/peppered-moth