# Bruce Spanworm Moth

*Operophtera bruceata*

The females are flightless and wingless; they must crawl up the trunks of trees to attract flying males with pheromones.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Geometridae › Operophtera
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous and mixed-wood forests, specifically favoring stands of maple, beech, and birch.
- **Diet:** Larvae are generalist feeders on deciduous foliage; adults possess vestigial mouthparts and do not feed.
- **Range:** North America, Canada, Northern United States
- **Size:** Males: 25-30mm wingspan; Females: 5-8mm length
- **Lifespan:** 1 year
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation and the use of non-specific aerial pesticides during larval outbreaks.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless to humans. They do not bite, sting, or possess irritating hairs. You can safely observe them on tree trunks during late autumn evenings; no physical contact is necessary.

## About

Operophtera bruceata , the bruce spanworm , or (in North America) "winter moth" is a species of moth of the family Geometridae. It is found from coast to coast in southern Canada and the northern parts of the United States.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/8a1ac90a-9912-47fd-9f38-b5b29913c844
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/121236
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operophtera bruceata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2753185/medium.jpg (Bill Keim, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.