Insect
Autumnal Moth
Epirrita autumnataAutumnal moths take flight in crisp late-autumn air when most other insects have vanished, resting camouflaged against lichen-draped tree trunks during the day. In northern birch ecosystems, their populations cycle into immense regional outbreaks every nine to ten years, stripping entire mountain forests of their canopy. Surviving the winter exclusively as cold-hardy eggs glued to twigs, the larvae hatch precisely to coincide with the budding of spring leaves.
NocturnalCamouflagedDefoliator
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyMountain birch leaves, Bilberry foliage, Willow leaves
Predators
- Pied flycatcher
- Willow tit
- Ground beetles
ThreatsWarming winter temperatures disrupting egg diapause and changing synchronized spring bud burst
HabitatsBoreal forests, subarctic mountain birch woods, moorlands, and mixed temperate woodlands
Life spanAbout 1 year (including egg, larval, and pupal stages; adults live 1 to 2 weeks)
Classification
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilyGeometridae
- GenusEpirrita
- SpeciesEpirrita autumnata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Harmless to humans and pets; safe to observe at any distance.
Responsible observation
- Attracting to Lights: Set up an outdoor white sheet and light trap on mild, damp autumn evenings.
- Trunk Inspections: Search lichen-covered tree trunks by day where adults sit motionless with wings flattened.
- Gentle Observation: Avoid disturbing resting adults during cold weather, as warming up for flight costs vital energy.
Host Plant (c) Roman A. Lagazyuk (Роман А. Лагазюк), some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Competitor (c) Gilles San Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Gilles San Martin · cc-by-sa
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Species set
Moonlight Marvels
Autumnal Moth is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
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