Biston

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Cladus: Macroheterocera
Superfamilia: Geometroidea

Familia: Geometridae
Subfamilia: Ennominae
Tribus: Bistonini
Genus: Biston
Species: B. achyra – B. bengaliaria – B. betularia – B. brevipennata – B. bura – B. contectaria – B. exalbescens – B. falcata – B. giganteus – B. hypoleucus – B. inouei – B. insularis – B. marginata – B. mediolata – B. melacron – B. multidentata – B. panterinaria – B. pelidna – B. perclara – B. pustulata – B. quercii – B. regalis – B. robustum – B. rosenbaueri – B. stratarius – B. subregalis – B. suppressaria – B. thibetaria – B. thoracicaria – B. tianschanicus – B. virginarius

Name

Biston Leach, [1815]

Type species: Geometra prodromaria Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
Synonyms

Pachys Hübner, [1806]
Dasyphara Billberg, 1820
Pachys Hübner, 1822
Amphidasis Treitschke, 1825; in Ochsenheimer
Eubyja Hübner, [1825]
Euboea Gumppenberg, 1887 (emend.)
Buzura Walker, [1863]
Eubyjodonta Warren, 1893
Blepharoctenia Warren, 1894

References

Inoue, H. 2000c. Descriptions of a new species and a new subspecies of the genus Biston Leach from the Philippines, with notes on the two known species (Geometridae, Ennominae). Tinea 16(4): 226-230. Reference page.
Jiang, N. ; D.-y. Xue & H.-x. Han, 2011: A review of Biston Leach, 1815 (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae) from China, with description of one new species. Zookeys 39: 45–96. Abstract and full article: DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.139.1308.
Müller, B. 2018. Biston rosenbaueri sp. n. (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae) from the Balkan Peninsula. Nota Lepidopterologica 41(2): 207-213. Reference page.
Sato, R., 1996: Records of the Boarmiini (Geometridae; Ennominae) from Thailand III. Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan 47(4): 223–236. Full article: [1].
Sato, R., 2001: Type specimens of the Geometridae (Lepidoptera) described by Matsumura in the Hokkaido University Insect Collection, Japan. Insecta Matsumura NS 58: 115–138. Full article: [2].

Links

ION [needs update]
Nomenclator Zoologicus

Biston is a genus of large, long-winged moths belonging to the family Geometridae. It is most notable for containing the well-known peppered moth. The genus was first described by William Elford Leach in 1815.
Antennae of Biston species. 1 bipectinate, with long rami (male of Biston melacron) 2 bipectinate, with short rami (male of Biston thibetaria) 3 filiform (female of Biston betularia). Scale bar = 1 mm

Distribution

The species of Biston are widely distributed in Holarctic, Oriental and Ethiopian regions.
Description

Palpi short and hairy. Thorax stout and clothed with thick pile. Legs hairy. Hind tibia not dilated and with slight spurs present. Forewings with rounded apex and oblique outer margin. Vein 3 from near angle of cell. Veins 7 to 9 stalked from near upper angle and veins 10, 11 stalked, where 10 often connected with veins 8 and 9. Hindwings with long cell and vein 3 from the angle.[1]
Diversity

The genus currently contains 54 species and 40 subspecies.
Species

Species include:

Biston achyra Wehrli, 1936
Biston bengaliaria (Guenée, 1857)
Biston betularia (Linnaeus, 1758) – peppered moth
Biston brevipennata Inoue, 1982
Biston bura (Warren, 1894)
Biston contectaria (Walker, 1863)
Biston exalbescens Inoue, 2000
Biston falcata (Warren, 1893)
Biston giganteus Inoue
Biston hypoleucus Kuznetsov, 1901
Biston inouei Holloway, 1993
Biston insularis (Warren, 1894)
Biston marginata Shiraki, 1913
Biston mediolata Jiang, Nan, Dayong Xue & Hongxiang Han, 2011
Biston melacron Wehrli, 1941
Biston multidentata (Guedet, 1941)
Biston panterinaria (Bremer & Grey, 1853)
Biston pelidna Prout
Biston perclara (Warren, 1899)
Biston pustulata (Warren, 1896)
Biston quercii (Oberthür, 1910)
Biston regalis (Moore, 1888)
Biston robustum Butler, 1879
Biston strataria (Hufnagel, 1767) – oak beauty
Biston subregalis Inoue
Biston suppressaria (Guenée, 1857)
Biston thibetaria (Oberthür, 1886)
Biston thoracicarius (Oberthür, 1884)
Biston tianschanicus Wehrli, 1940

References

Hampson, G. F. (1895). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume III. Taylor and Francis – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.

Savela, Markku. "Biston Leach, [1815]". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the genera of Lepidoptera-Geometridae. Version: 29 December 2011 [1] Full description
Caterpillar Hostplant Database
Nomina Insecta Nearctica
Fauna Europaea