Moth/Butterfly in the Winter ? - Operophtera bruceata

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Geometrid and Swallowtail Moths (Geometroidea) » Geometrid Moths (Geometridae) » Larentiinae » Operophterini » Operophtera » Bruce Spanworm - Hodges#7437 (Operophtera bruceata)

Photo#871630

Copyright © 2013 Mardon Erbland

Moth/Butterfly in the Winter ? - Operophtera bruceata -

N47.586375 W52.727391, St. John's, Northeast Avalon, Newfoundland/Labrador, Canada
December 2, 2013
Size: Estimate 4 cm wing span

I know that this is a terrible photo but I wasn't expecting to find a butterfly or moth flying around the woods in December in Newfoundland. I had only my iPhone to try and get a photo and this is the best I could do. It was flying in the woods along a public walking trail in the early afternoon with some snow on the ground and an ambient air temperature of 1⁰C. Here it's landed on the wooden railing of a walking bridge. And "Yes" that is snow that it is sitting on. This seems most unusually to me. I am wondering if this is some sort of winter moth or butterfly?

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Contributed by Mardon Erbland on 2 December, 2013 - 4:55pm
Last updated 4 December, 2013 - 9:53am

Moved

Moved from Operophterini.

… Mardon Erbland, 4 December, 2013 - 9:53am

Operophtera bruceata (Hulst) male

Yes, this likely Bruce spanworm, O. bruceata, and not winter moth, O. brumata. Nice pic of the spot in the middle of the hind wing. If you see this spot it is pretty safe to say it is Bruce spanworm. Especially in Newfoundland...I have done a lot of winter moth surveying in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and winter moth seems confined to NS, whereas Bruce spanworm is widespread. If the spot is absent it could be either species, and you need to dissect the uncus, and even then you often have to go to dna to know for sure. We have found hybrids in Massachusetts where the species overlap so a confusing group. But so far if we see the spot, it tests out as Bruce spanworm by dna. We are seeing some big outbreaks of the native Bruce spanworm this year (Nov-Dec 2013) in the US and I suspect there may even be some defoliation from this rarely outbreaking moth this year in western Massachusetts. The female of this species is flightless and has short stubs for wings. Males and females of both species do not feed as adults, so they are all about finding mates and laying eggs. Thanks for posting. LOVE the shot on ice. Both Operophtera species can fly pretty well even at 38F and above. One tough critter. But the advantage is that if you can adapt to fly in winter, bats are already hibernating, the bulk of the birds have gone south, and insect predators are extremely scarce, so very little predation on the adults or overwintering eggs. But this is not easy to do because you have to have special antifreeze in your system to prevent the cells from shattering on sub zero nights. So your confusion about winter flying moths is shared by the scientists that work on these. Quite amazing system. Jeff Boettner, UMASS-Amherst

… George "Jeff" Boettner, 3 December, 2013 - 1:34pm

Moved

Moved from Butterflies and Moths.

… Mardon Erbland, 2 December, 2013 - 8:03pm

its a male

Operophterini...maybe/probably a bruce spanworm...the females are flightless and they are late season moths (winter moths is right). you have a record here for your area.

… Edna Woodward, 2 December, 2013 - 7:46pm

Thanks so much

I appreciate the information. I had no idea that moths could be out and about in such cold weather. But even though it was flying around (and it flew away after I took the photo), it seemed rather slow in its movements. The cold was clearly having an effect on how quickly it could get around.

… Mardon Erbland, 3 December, 2013 - 12:27pm

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