Magpie Moth

Geometridae
FamilyGeometridae
Scientific NameAbraxas grossulariata
RangeEurope, Asia
HabitatGardens, hedgerows

About the Magpie Moth

A boldly patterned moth, white with black spots and yellow bands, warning predators that it is distasteful. Its looper caterpillars feed on currant and gooseberry bushes. It holds a place in the history of genetics: in the early 1900s, breeding experiments with a pale form of this moth helped reveal sex-linked inheritance.

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