A European moth of woods and gardens, which is typically white with black speckling. In industrial areas sooty brown forms predominate as a result of industrial melanism.
Biston betularia, family Geometridae
‘Industrial melanism in peppered moths has been a worldwide textbook example of natural selection.’
‘Industrial melanism in peppered moths has been studied most intensively in Britain.’
‘For most of the twentieth century the only well-known example of evolution in action was the case of peppered moths in industrial England.’
‘A recent example of this can be seen in colour changes in the British peppered moth, which is nocturnal, resting during the day on surfaces such as tree trunks.’
‘The ‘classic’ textbook example of natural selection says that most peppered moths were light-coloured in the early 1800s.’
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