Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
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

Wingless Winter Moth - Operophtera bruceata - female Bruce Spanworm - Hodges#7437 - Operophtera bruceata - male Geometridae: Operophtera bruceata? - Operophtera bruceata Wingless Moth Oregon - Operophtera brumata - female geometrid 1 - Operophtera bruceata Operophtera bruceata? - Operophtera Operophtera bruceata 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

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2025 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo