Operophtera brumata

Photo Credit: © Roman via iNaturalist.org. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Operophtera brumata
Common Name: winter moth
Animal Guild: Insect
Class > Order > Family: Insecta > Lepidoptera > Geometridae
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
BC, CT, MA, ME, NB, NH, NL, NS, NY, PE, RI, VT
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see/hear...?
Activity Adults
One or more adults are seen or heard moving about or at rest. For Operophtera brumata, females are brownish-gray with tiny wing stubs and cannot fly, while males are light brown to tan and fly in search of females. Males are often found around outdoor lights.
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For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Reproduction Mating
A male and female are seen coupled in a mating position, usually end to end. This can occur at rest or in flight. For Operophtera brumata, females are flightless so mating does not occur in flight.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Egg laying
A female is seen laying eggs on a plant or other surface. If possible, record the name of the plant or describe it in the comments field. For Operophtera brumata, eggs are typically deposited in tree bark cracks and crevices.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Development Caterpillars
One or more caterpillars (larvae) are seen moving about or at rest. When seen on a plant, if possible, record the name of the plant or describe it in the comments field. For Operophtera brumata, caterpillars are “inchworms” or “loopers” with three pairs of forelegs and two pairs of stumpy "legs" (prolegs) on the back half of their body. They are tiny and blackish in color when first hatched, becoming pale green with a faint white stripe along each side as they get larger.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Caterpillars feeding
One or more caterpillars are seen feeding. If possible, record the name of the species or substance being eaten or describe it in the comments field. For Operophtera brumata, caterpillars feed on the leaves and leaf and flower buds of trees and shrubs.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Dead adults
One or more dead adults are seen.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Dead caterpillars
One or more dead caterpillars are seen.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Method Individuals at a light
One or more individuals are seen at a light, whether flying or at rest.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Individuals in a net
One or more individuals are seen caught in a net.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Individuals in a trap
One or more individuals are seen caught in a trap.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
What do these phenophases look like?

The following Phenophase Photo Guides for this species have been vetted for accuracy by the USA-NPN National Coordinating Office. Most photo guides are developed for a particular local or regional monitoring effort, and some of the content may not apply to your effort or your region. However, we make them available to provide as much help as they may in illustrating phenophases for this species. If you have high quality phenophase photos that you are willing to share with us, please visit the Phenophase Photo Guidelines page.

Be aware there is variation from individual to individual within a species, especially across different regions, so your plant may not look exactly like the one pictured.

Since they do not always include complete definitions for the species, use these photo guides ONLY in conjunction with the official Nature's Notebook phenophase defintions included in the table above, in the phenophase definition sheet that downloads with the datasheet, or in the Observe screen in the mobile app.