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AH_Peppered Moth Biston betularia_8997.jpg
Peppered Moths {Biston betularia}. This species is frequently used as a textbook example of 'industrial melanism'. Here we see the dark melanic form  of the moth {f. carbonaria} is better camouflaged on the soot-covered tree trunk found in an an urban environment. The pale lichen-mimicking form is less well camouflaged in this instance, making it more likely to be predated by birds. Due to improving air quality, the melanic form is becoming rarer. Derbyshire, UK. October.