Biston

In Greek mythology, Biston was the son of Ares and Calliope, daughter of Nestus. His two brothers were Odomas and Edonus (eponyms of two Thracian tribes, the Odomanti and the Edoni). Alternately, he was called son of Paeon and grandson of Ares, or son of Terpsichorus.

Biston built the city of Bistonia on the shores of Lake Bistonis in Thrace. He also introduced the Thracian practice of tattooing both men and women with eye-like patterns as a magical fetish, in response to an oracle which guaranteed victory against the neighbouring Edonians tribe if so adorned. The Thracian Bistonians were famous for their warlike nature and cult of Ares whom they worshipped in the form of an upright standing sword.

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Biston (moth)

Biston is a genus of large, long-winged moths belonging to the family Geometridae. It is most notable for containing the well-known Peppered Moth.

Distribution

The species of Biston are widely distributed in Holarctic, Oriental and Ethiopian regions.

Diversity

The genus currently contains 54 species and 40 subspecies.

Species

Species include:

Peppered moth

The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is a temperate species of night-flying moth.Peppered moth evolution is an example of population genetics and natural selection.

Description

The wingspan is 55mm. median (45–62 mm.) It is relatively stout-bodied, with forewings relatively narrow-elongate. The wings are white, "peppered" with black, and with more or less distinct cross lines, also black. The black speckling varies in amount, in some examples it is almost absent, whilst in others it is so dense that the wings appear to be black sprinkled with white. The antennae of males are strongly bipectinate.

Distribution

Biston betularia is found in China (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet), Russia, Mongolia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Europe and North America.

Ecology and life cycle

In Britain and Ireland, the peppered moth is univoltine (i.e., it has one generation per year), whilst in south-eastern North America it is bivoltine (two generations per year). The lepidopteran life cycle consists of four stages: ova (eggs), several larval instars (caterpillars), pupae, which overwinter live in the soil, and imagines (adults). During the day, the moths typically rest on trees, where they are preyed on by birds.