Horse Chestnut Leafminer Parasitoid vs Peppered Moth Dark Form

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Horse Chestnut Leafminer Parasitoid Peppered Moth Dark Form
Scientific Name Pnigalio agraules Biston betularia f. carbonaria
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Eulophidae Geometridae
Size 1-2 mm 42-52 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Parasitoids Herbivores
Regions Europe, Asia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Horse Chestnut Leafminer Parasitoid

A small metallic-green ectoparasitoid wasp that attacks leafminer larvae inside leaf mines. It has a broad host range across many leafminer species.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few natural enemies that attacks the invasive horse chestnut leafminer in Europe.

Peppered Moth Dark Form

The dark melanic form of the famous peppered moth, a textbook example of natural selection. Became dominant during industrial pollution when soot darkened tree bark.

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Did You Know?

The rise and fall of the dark form tracks industrial pollution so closely it remains the best example of evolution in action.