Peppered Moth
Featured in: Year 6: Evolution and inheritance
Peppered Moth
A common moth from Britain, famous for changing its colour to stay hidden as its surroundings changed.
Adaptations: A famous example of natural selection, where the darker form of the moth became more common on soot-covered trees during the Industrial Revolution because it was better camouflaged.
💡 Fun Facts
- Camouflage: Before pollution, the light, speckled form of the peppered moth was most common because it blended in perfectly with lichen on tree bark. The rare dark form was easily spotted and eaten by birds.
- Industrial Melanism: During the Industrial Revolution, soot from factories killed the lichen and blackened the tree trunks. Suddenly, the dark moths were camouflaged, and the light ones were easily spotted.
- Evolution in Action: As air quality has improved in recent decades, the lichens have returned and tree trunks are cleaner. The light-coloured peppered moth has now become the more common form again, providing a perfect example of evolution that scientists have observed.
Biston betularia
means “the birch-bark moth, speckled as if with pepper”
What does its name mean?
- Biston — no hidden meaning — just a labelGreek; an old mythological name (a figure of Thrace) used simply as the group's name
- betularia — of the birchLatin betula 'birch tree'
- peppered — speckled black-on-white, as if dusted with pepperEnglish
Its black-freckled white wings look sprinkled with pepper, and 'of the birch' points to the pale, lichen-dappled birch bark it hides against. When factory soot blackened the trees a dark form took over, and clean-air laws later brought the pale 'peppered' moth back — making it the most famous example of evolution happening before our very eyes.
📄 Educational Handout Available
Download the printable infographic: Butterflies vs Moths
📄 Educational Handout Available
Download the printable infographic: Butterfly & Moth Life Cycle