Variegated Cutworm vs Peppered Moth Dark Form

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Variegated Cutworm	Peppered Moth Dark Form
Scientific Name	Peridroma saucia	Biston betularia f. carbonaria
Order	Lepidoptera	Lepidoptera
Family	Noctuidae	Geometridae
Size	40-55 mm wingspan	42-52 mm wingspan
Habitat	Farmland	Underground
Diet	Seed Feeders	Herbivores
Regions	Worldwide	Europe
Conservation	Not Evaluated	Least Concern

Variegated Cutworm

A mottled brown moth whose plump soil-dwelling caterpillars cut through stems of seedlings at ground level. It attacks a very wide range of vegetables and field crops.

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Did You Know?

A single caterpillar can cut down several seedlings in one night, often felling far more plants than it actually eats.

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.