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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

Genus Operophtera

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Identification · Range · Internet References
Winter Moth - Operophtera bruceata - male Wingless Winter Moth - Operophtera bruceata - female Unidentified moth - Operophtera - male moth - Operophtera Undetermined Operophtera #2 - Operophtera Bruce Spanworm - Operophtera bruceata - male Bruce Spanworm - Operophtera bruceata - female Small Moth - Operophtera bruceata - male
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Geometroidea (Geometrid and Swallowtail Moths)
Family Geometridae (Geometrid Moths)
Subfamily Larentiinae
Tribe Operophterini
Genus Operophtera
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Operophthera (a misspelling)
Numbers
3 species in North America listed at All-Leps
(4 species are listed at nearctica.com, but one of them (occidentalis) is considered a synonym of bruceata by All-Leps)
3 species in Canada (CBIF)
Identification
On distinguishing female O. bruceata from O. brumata: "On Bruce spanworm the wing buds would be much shorter than the second segment of the abdomen. In winter moth the wings are longer than the second segment" - Jeff Boettner

Comparison of Operophtera brumata and O. bruceata, uncus is shown, the scales have been brushed off the tail of the abdomen.
Range
O. bruceata occurs coast to coast in northern United States and Canada, south in the west to California but absent from southeastern states
O. brumata occurs on both coasts but not inland
O. danbyi occurs only on the west coast
Internet References
pinned adult images of all 3 species (CBIF)
presence in California of 2 species (U. of California at Berkeley)
distribution in Canada list of provinces for 3 species (CBIF)
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 13 January, 2005 - 3:36pm
Additional contributions by metrioptera, JoAnneRusso
Last updated 22 November, 2021 - 2:20pm

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